•NRLF 


4  313  Ob? 


TO 


WILD  FLOWEkS 


ARS.VfL 


ILLVS1 


/\AR!ON  SATTERLEE 


LANDSCAPE 
ARCHITECTURE 


Ex 

Libris 

BEATRIX 
JONES 


The  Gift  of  Beatrix  Farrand 

to  the  General  Library 
University  of  California,  Berkeley 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE 
WILD  FLOWERS 


HOW  TO    KNOW   THE 
WILD   FLOWERS 


B  (BuiDe 

TO    THE  NAMES,   HAUNTS,   AND  HABITS  OF   OUR 
COMMON   WILD  FLOWERS 


BY 

MRS.   WILLIAM   STARR   DANA  J^ 

ILLUSTRATED    BY 

MARION    SATTERLEE 


"The  first  conscious  thought  about  wild  flowers  was  to  find  out  their  names 
—the  first  conscious  pleasure— and  then  I  began  to  see  so  many  that  I  had  not 
previously  noticed.  Once  you  wish  to  identify  them,  there  is  nothing  escapes, 
down  to  the  little  white  chickweed  of  the  path  and  the  moss  of  the  wall." 

—RICHARD  JKFFERIKS 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 


COPYRIGHT,  1893,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


TROW    DIRECTORY 

PRINTING  AND   BOOKBINDING  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


idd'l 

LANDSCAPE 
ARCHITECTURE 


At 

Lt  IsKo 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Preface, .      .            .            .....  vii 

How  to  Use  the  Book,  .      .    '  .      .      .      .  ix 

Introductory  Chapter,  .      ,      .      .     '..     .  / 

Explanation  of  Terms, ,.  s 

Notable  Plant  Families, i3 

Flower  Descriptions: 

I.  wute,      .      .    '  .    •'..-     ,      ./    .      .    22 

II.  Yellow,      .        /       .        .        .       .      ..        .  /I3 

III.  Pink/.        .'       .       .        .    .    .        .        .        .  ,73 

ir-  Red,  .  .     .     .      .      -    .      .  2,3 

V.  Blue  and  Purple,   "  .       ,        .       .       .        .  229 
VI.  Miscellaneous,    .        .        .     •   .        .        .        .  276 

Index  to  Latin  Names,  .  ._  .  .  .  .  2^7 
"  to  English  Names,  .....  292 
"  of  Technical  Terms, 298 


341 


ONE  of  these  days  some  one  will  give  us  a  hand-book  of  our  wild  flow- 
ers, by  the  aid  of  which  we  shall  all  be  able  to  name  those  we  gather  in  our 
walks  without  the  trouble  of  analyzing  them.  In  this  book  we  shall  have  a 
list  of  all  our  flowers  arranged  according  to  color,  as  white  flowers,  blue 
flowers,  yellow  flowers,  pink  flowers,  etc.,  with  place  of  growth  and  time  of 
blooming. 

vi  JOHN  BURROUGHS. 


PREFACE 


*  THE  pleasure  of  a  walk  in  the  woods  and  fields  is  enhanced  a 
hundredfold  by  some  little  knowledge  of  the  flowers  which  we 
meet  at  every  turn.  Their  names  alone  serve  as  a  clew  to  their 
entire  histories,  giving  us  that  sense  of  companionship  with  our 
surroundings  which  is  so  necessary  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  out- 
door life.  .  But  if  we  have  never  studied  botany  it  has  been  no 
easy  matter  to  learn  these  names,  for  we  find  that  the  very  people 
who  have  always  lived  among  the  flowers  are  often  ignorant  of 
even  their  common  titles,  and  frequently  increase  our  eventual 
confusion  by  naming  them  incorrectly.  While  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  any  attempt  to  attain  our  end  by  means  of  some 
"Key,"  which  positively  bristles  with  technical  terms  and  out- 
landish titles,  has  only  led  us  to  replace  the  volume  in  despair, 
sighing  with  Emerson,  that  these  scholars 

Love  not  the  flower  they  pluck,  and  know  it  not, 
And  all  their  botany  is  Latin  names  ! 

So  we  have  ventured  to  hope  that  such  a  book  as  this  will 
not  be  altogether  unwelcome,  and  that  our  readers  will  find  that 
even  a  bowing  acquaintance  with  the  flowers  repays  one  gen- 
erously for  the  effort  expended  in  its  achievement.  '  Such  an 
acquaintance  serves  to  transmute  the  tedium  of  a  railway  jour- 
ney into  the  excitement  of  a  tour  of  discovery.  It  causes  the 
monotony  of  a  drive  through  an  ordinarily  uninteresting  country 
to  be  forgotten  in  the  diversion  of  noting  the  wayside  flowers, 
and  counting  a  hundred  different  species  where  formerly  less 
than  a  dozen  would  have  been  detected.  It  invests  each  boggy 
meadow  and  bit  of  rocky  woodland  with  almost  irresistible  charm. 


PREFACE 

Surely  Sir  John  Lubbock  is  right  in  maintaining  that  "those 
who  love  Nature  can  never  be  dull,"  provided  that  love  be  ex- 
pressed by  an  intelligent  interest  rather  than  by  a  purely  senti- 
mental rapture. 

Ninety-seven  of  the  one  hundred  and  four  plates  in  this 
book  are  from  original  drawings  from  nature.  Of  the  remaining 
seven  plates,  six  (Nos.  LXXX.,  XCIX.,  CL,  XXII.,  XLIL, 
LXXXL),  and  the  illustration  of  the  complete  flower,  in  the 
Explanation  of  Terms,  are  adapted  with  alterations  from  standard 
authors,  part  of  the  work  in  the  first  three  plates  mentioned  being 
original.  Plate  IV.  has  been  adapted  from  "  American  Medicinal 
Plants,"  by  kind  permission  of  the  author,  Dr.  C.  F.  Millspaugh. 
The  reader  should  always  consult  the  "  Flower  Descriptions  "  in 
order  to  learn  the  actual  dimensions  of  the  different  plants,  as  it 
has  not  always  been  possible  to  preserve  their  relative  sizes  in  the 
illustrations.  The  aim  in  the  drawings  has  been  to  help  the 
reader  to  identify  the  flowers  described  in  the  text,  and  to  this 
end  they  are  presented  as  simply  as  possible,  with  no  attempt  at 
artistic  arrangement  or  grouping. 

We  desire  to  express  our  thanks  to  Miss  Harriet  Procter,  of 
Cincinnati,  for  her  assistance  and  encouragement.  Acknowledg- 
ment of  their  kind  help  is  also  due  to  Mrs.  Seth  Doane,  of 
Orleans,  Massachusetts,  and  to  Mr.  Eugene  P.  Bicknell,  of  Riv- 
erdale,  New  York.  To  Dr.  N.  L.  Britton,  of  Columbia  College, 
we  are  indebted  for  permission  to  work  in  the  College  Herba- 
rium. 

NEW  YORK,  March  15,  1893. 


viii 


HOW  TO   USE  THE    BOOK 

MANY  difficulties  have  been  encountered  in  the  arrangement 
of  this  guide  to  the  flowers.  To  be  really  useful  such  a  guide 
must  be  of  moderate  size,  easily  carried  in  the  woods  and  fields ; 
yet  there  are  so  many  flowers,  and  there  is  so  much  to  say  about 
them,  that  we  have  been  obliged  to  control  our  selection  and 
descriptions  by  certain  regulations  which  we  hope  will  commend 
themselves  to  the  intelligence  of  our  readers  and  secure  their 
indulgence  should  any  special  favorite  be  conspicuous  by  its  ab- 
sence. 

These  regulations  may  be  formulated  briefly  as  follows : 

1.  Flowers  so  common  as  to  be  generally  recognized  are 
omitted,  unless  some  peculiarity  or  fact  in  their  history  entitles 
them  to  special  mention. 

Under  this,  Buttercups,  Wild  Roses,  Thistles,  and  others  are 
ruled  out. 

2.  Flowers  so  inconspicuous  as  generally  to  escape  notice  are 
usually  omitted. 

Here  Ragweed,  Plantain,  and  others  are  excluded. 

3.  Rare  flowers  and  escapes  from  gardens  are  usually  omitted. 

4.  Those  flowers  are  chosen  for  illustration  which  seem  en- 
titled to  prominence  on  account  of  their  beauty,  interest,  or  fre- 
quent occurrence. 

5.  Flowers  which  have  less  claim  upon  the  general  public 
than  those  chosen  for  illustration  and  full  description,  yet  which 
are  sufficiently  common  or  conspicuous  to  arouse  occasional  curi- 
osity, are  necessarily  dismissed  with  as  brief  a  description  as 
seems  compatible  with  their  identification. 

In  parts  of  New  England,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 

ix 


HOW   TO    USE    THE  BOOK 

vania  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  I  have  been  enabled  to 
describe  many  of  our  wild  flowers  from  personal  observation  ;  and 
I  have  endeavored  to  increase  the  usefulness  of  the  book  by  in- 
cluding as  well  those  comparatively  few  flowers  not  found  within 
the  range  mentioned,  but  commonly  encountered  at  some  point 
this  side  of  Chicago. 

The  grouping  according  to  color  was  suggested  by  a  passage 
in  one  of  Mr.  Burroughs's  "Talks  about  Flowers."  It  seemed, 
on  careful  consideration,  to  offer  an  easier  identification  than 
any  other  arrangement.  One  is  constantly  asked  the  name  of 
some  "little  blue  flower,"  or  some  "  large  pink  flower,"  noted 
by  the  wayside.  While  both  the  size  and  color  of  a  flower  fix 
themselves  in  the  mind  of  the  casual  observer,  the  color  is  the 
more  definitely  appreciated  characteristic  of  the  two  and  serves 
far  better  as  a  clew  to  its  identification. 

When  the  flowers  are  brought  in  from  the  woods  and  fields 
they  should  be  sorted  according  to  color  and  then  traced  to  their 
proper  places  in  the  various  sections.  As  far  as  possible  the 
flowers  have  been  arranged  according  to  the  seasons'  sequence, 
the  spring  flowers  being  placed  in  the  first  part  of  each  section, 
the  summer  flowers  next,  and  the  autumn  flowers  last. 

It  has  sometimes  been  difficult  to  determine  the  proper  posi- 
tion of  a  flower — blues,  purples,  and  pinks  shading  so  gradually 
one  into  another  as  to  cause  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  color 
of  a  blossom  among  the  most  accurate.  So  if  the  object  of  our 
search  is  not  found  in  the  first  section  consulted,  we  must  turn  to 
that  other  one  which  seems  most  likely  to  include  it. 

It  has  seemed  best  to  place  in  the  White  section  those  flowers 
which  are  so  faintly  tinted  with  other  colors  as  to  give  a  white 
effect  in  the  mass,  or  when  seen  at  a  distance.  Some  flowers  are 
so  green  as  to  seem  almost  entitled  to  a  section  of  their  own,  but 
if  closely  examined  the  green  is  found  to  be  so  diluted  with  white 
as  to  render  them  describable  by  the  term  greenish-white.  A 
white  flower  veined  with  pink  will  also  be  described  in  the  White 
section,  unless  its  general  effect  should  be  so  pink  as  to  entitle  it 
to  a  position  in  the  Pink  section.  Such  a  flower  again  as  the. 


HOW  TO    USE    THE  BOOK 

Painted  Cup  is  placed  in  the  Red  section  because  its  floral  leaves 
are  so  red  that  probably  none  but  the  botanist  would  appreciate 
that  the  actual  flowers  were  yellow.  Flowers  which  fail  to  sug- 
gest any  definite  color  are  relegated  to  the  Miscellaneous  section. 

With  the  description  of  each  flower  is  given — 

1.  Its  common  English  name — if  one  exists.     This  may  be 
looked  upon  as  its  "nickname,"  a  title  attached  to  it  by  chance, 
often  endeared  to  us  by  long  association,  the  name  by  which  it 
may  be  known  in  one  part  of  the  country  but  not  necessarily  in 
another,  and  about  which,   consequently,  a  certain  amount  of 
disagreement  and  confusion  often  arises. 

2.  Its  scientific  name.     This  compensates  for  its  frequent 
lack  of  euphony  by  its  other  advantages.     It  is  usually  composed 
of  two  Latin — or  Latinized — words,  and  is  the  same  in  all  parts 
of  the  world  (which  fact  explains  the  necessity  of  its  Latin  form). 
Whatever  confusion  may  exist  as  to  a  flower's  English  name,  its 
scientific  one  is  an  accomplished  fact — except  in  those  rare  cases 
where  an  undescribed  species  is  encountered — and  rarely  admits 
of  dispute.     The  first  word  of  this  title  indicates  the  genus  of  the 
plant.     It  is  a  substantive,  answering  to  the  last  or  family  name 
of  a  person,  and  shows  the  relationship  of  all  the  plants  which 
bear  it.     The  second  word  indicates  the  species.     It  is  usually 
an  adjective,  which  betrays  some  characteristic  of  the  plant,  or  it 
may  indicate  the  part  of  the  country  in  which  it  is  found,  or  the 
person  in  whose  honor  it  was  named. 

3.  The  English  title  of  the  larger  Family  to  which  the  plant 
belongs.     All  flowers  grouped  under  this  title  have  in  common 
certain  important  features  which  in  many  cases  are  too  obscure 
to  be  easily  recognized  ;  while  in  others  they  are  quite  obvious. 
One  who  wishes  to  identify  the  flowers  with  some  degree  of  ease 
should  learn  to  recognize  at  sight  such  Families  as  present  con- 
spicuously characteristic  features. 

For  fuller  definitions,  explanations,  and  descriptions  than 
are  here  given,  Gray's  text-books  and  "Manual"  should  be 
consulted.  After  some  few  flowers  have  been  compared  with 
the  partially  technical  description  which  prefaces  each  popular 


HOW  TO    USE   THE  BOOK 

one,  little  difficulty  should  be  experienced  in  the  use  of  a  bo- 
tanical key.  Many  of  the  measurements  and  technical  descrip- 
tions have  been  based  upon  Gray's  "Manual."  It  has  been 
thought  best  to  omit  any  mention  of  species  and  varieties  not  in- 
cluded in  the  latest  edition  of  that  work. 

An  ordinary  magnify  ing-glass  (such  as  can  be  bought  for 
seventy-five  cents),  a  sharp  penknife,  and  one  or  two  dissecting- 
needles  will  be  found  useful  in  the  examination  of  the  smaller 
flowers.  The  use  of  a  note-book,  with  jottings  as  to  the  date, 
color,  surroundings,  etc.,  of  any  newly  identified  flower,  is  recom- 
mended. This  habit  impresses  on  the  memory  easily  forgotten 
but  important  details.  Such  a  book  is  also  valuable  for  further 
reference,  both  for  our  own  satisfaction  when  some  point  which 
our  experience  had  already  determined  has  been  forgotten,  and 
for  the  settlement  of  the  many  questions  which  are  sure  to  arise 
among  flower-lovers  as  to  the  localities  in  which  certain  flowers 
are  found,  the  dates  at  which  they  may  be  expected  to  appear 
and  disappear,  and  various  other  points  which  even  the  scien- 
tific books  sometimes  fail  to  decide. 

Some  of  the  flowers  described  are  found  along  every  country 
highway.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  these  wayside  flowers 
may  usually  be  classed  among  the  foreign  population.  They 
have  been  brought  to  us  from  Europe  in  ballast  and  in  loads  of 
grain,  and  invariably  follow  in  the  wake  of  civilization.  Many 
of  our  most  beautiful  native  flowers  have  been  crowded  out  of 
the  hospitable  roadside  by  these  aggressive,  irresistible,  and  mis- 
chievous invaders  ;  for  Mr.  Burroughs  points  out  that  nearly 
all  of  our  troublesome  weeds  are  emigrants  from  Europe.  We 
must  go  to  the  more  remote  woods  and  fields  if  we  wish  really  to 
know  our  native  plants.  Swamps  especially  offer  an  eagerly 
sought  asylum  to  our  shy  and  lovely  wild  flowers. 


xii 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


i. 

ii. 

in. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

'•  XI. 
XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 


BLOOD-ROOT, 

RUE  ANEMONE,     .   *     . 
WOOD  ANEMONE,  . 
STAR-FLOWER, 

MAY- APPLE,   . 
SPRING  BEAUTY,   . 
DUTCHMAN'S  BREECHES, 
FOAM- FLOWER, 
PAINTED  TRILLIUM,      . 
WILD  SARSAPARILLA,     . 
SOLOMON'S  SEAL,  . 
FALSE  SOLOMON'S  SEAL, 
BELLWORT,    . 

WHITE  BANEBERRY, 
BUNCH-BERRY,       . .       » 
MOUNTAIN  LAUREL, 
AMERICAN    RHODODEN- 
DRON,        . 

WOOD  SORREL,  .  , 
SHIN-LEAF,  .  .  . 
PIPSISSEWA,  ,\  .  . 

WlNTERGREEN,    .     » 

INDIAN   PIPE, 

BLACK  COHOSH,    ..   •   • 

PARTRIDGE  VINE, 


TALL  MEADOW  RUE, 
MEADOW-SWEET,   . 
POKEWEEI),   . 
WILD  CARROT, 
YARROW,        . ,       . 
XXIX,  ARROW-HEAD, 


PAGE 

Sangiiinaria  Canadensis,  .  .23 

A  nemonella  thalictroides,  .  .     25 

Anemone  nemorosa,   .  .  25 

T'rientalis  Americana,  ,  27 

Maianthemum  Canadensei  .     27 

Podophy Hum  peltatwn,  .  .     31 

Claytonia  Virginica,  .  .     33 

Dicentra  Cucullaria,  .  .     35 

Tiarclla  cor di folia,    .  .  -37 

Trillium  erythrocarpum,  .  .     41 

Aralia  midicaulis,     .  .  -43 

Polygonatum  biflorum,  .  .     45 

Smilacina  racemosa,  .  .     47 

Uvularia  perfoliata,  .  •      51 

Oakesia  sessilifolia,   .  .  •     51 

Actcea  alba,        .         .  .  -53 

Cornus  Canadensis,  .  .  •     55 

Kalmia  latifolia,       .  .  .       -57 

Rhododendron  maximum  .  .61 

Oxalis  Acetosella,      .  .  -63 

Pyrola  elliptica,         .  .  .     67 

Chimaphila  umbellata,  .  .     69 

Gaultheria  procumbens,  .  73 

Monotropa  uniflora,  .  ,       .     75 

Cimicifuga  racemosa,  .  .     79 

Mitchella  repens,       .  .  .81 

Dalibarda  repens,      .  .  -85 

Thalictrum  polygamum,  .  .     87 

Spircca  salicifolia,     .  .  .89 

Phytolacca  decandra,  .  .     93 

Datictts  Carota,          .  95 

Achillea  Millefolium,  .  .      95 

Sagiltaria  variabilis,  .  .     99 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


PLATE 

XXX.  TURTLE-HEAD, 

Chelone  glabra, 

XXXI.  TRAVELLER'S  JOY, 

Clematis  Virginiana, 

XXXII.  BONESET, 

Eupatorium  perfoliatum, 

XXXIII.  LADIES'  TRESSES, 

Spiranthes  cernua,    . 

XXXIV.  GRASS  OF  PARNASSUS,  . 

Parnassia  Caroliniana,     . 

XXXV.  MARSH  MARIGOLD, 

C  alt  ha  palustris, 

XXXVI.  YELLOW    ADDER'S 

TONGUE,    . 

Erythronium  Americaniim  , 

XXXVII.  DOWNY    YELLOW    VIO- 

LET,  .... 

Viola  piibescens, 

XXXVIII.  SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL,  . 

Potentilla  fructicosa, 

XXXIX 

C  lintonia  borcalis 

XL.  SMALLER    YELLOW    LA- 

DY'S SLIPPER,     . 

Cypripedium  parviflorum, 

XLI.  INDIAN  CUCUMBER- 

ROOT, 

Medeola  Virginica,   .         . 

XLII.  WINTER-CRESS, 

Barbarea  vulgaris,  . 

XLIII.  RATTLESNAKE-  WEED,     . 

Hieracium  venosum,           , 

XLIV.  BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE, 

Diervilla  trifida, 

XLV.  MEADOW  LILY, 

Liliiun  Canadense,    . 

XLVI.  FOUR  -  LEAVED    LOOSE- 

STRIFE,      .        .        . 

Lysimachia  qttadrifolia,     . 

XLVII.  YELLOW  LOOSESTRIFE,  . 

Lysimachia  stricta, 

XLVIII.  YELLOW  STAR-GRASS,    . 

Hypoxis  erecta, 

XLIX.    BUTTER-AND-EGGS, 

Linaria  vulgar  is, 

L.  COMMON     ST.     JOHN'S- 

WORT,            .          '.           .     ' 

Hypericum  per  for  at  um,    . 

LI.  COMMON  MULLEIN, 

Verbascum  Thapsus, 

LII.  YELLOW   FRINGED  OR- 

CHIS, .... 

Habenaria  ci  liar  is,   . 

LIII.  PALE  JEWEL-WEED, 

Impatiens  fallida, 

LIV.  EVENING  PRIMROSE,     . 

QLnothera  biennis,     .         . 

LV.  BLACK-EYED  SUSAN, 

Rudbeckia  hirta,        . 

LVI.  ELECAMPANE, 

Inula  Uelenium,       , 

LVII.  WILD  SUNFLOWER, 

Helianthemum  giganteus, 

LVIII.  STICK-TIGHT, 

Bidens  frondosa,       . 

LIX.  SMOOTH     FALSE     P'ox- 

GLOVE, 

Gerardia  quercifolia, 

LX.  TANSY,  ..... 

Tanacetum  vulgar  e, 

LXI.  TRAILING  ARBUTUS, 

Epig&a  repens,          .      '  • 

TWIN-FLOWER, 

Linnaa  borealis,        . 

LXII.  SHOWY  ORCHIS,    . 

Orchis  spectabilis,      .         . 

LXIII.  TWISTED  STALK,  . 

Strep  top  us  roseus,     . 

LXIV.  PINK  LADY'S  SLIPPER,  . 

Cypripedium  acaule, 

LXV.  PINK  AZALEA, 

Rhododendron  nudiflorum, 

xiv 

PAGE 
101 

103 

107 

.  109 

Ill 
"5 


119 

121 
I23 

I25 
129 


135 

137 

139 
141 


149 


J55 
J59 
161 

163 
165 
167 

169 
171 
175 
175 
177 
179 
181 
183 


LIST  OF  PLATES 


PLATE 
LXVI.    MlLKWORT,    . 

LXVII.  SPREADING  DOGBANE,   . 
LXVIII.  PURPLE- FLOWERING 

RASPBERRY, 

LXIX.  HERB  ROBERT,      . 
LXX.  BOUNCING  BET,     . 
LXXI.  PURPLE  LOOSESTRIFE,  . 
LXXII.  MEADOW-BEAUTY,  . 
LXXIII.  SEA  PINK,     . 
LXXIV.   —  -    . 

LXXV.  ROSE  MALLOW,      . 

LXXVI.    FlREWEED,      . 

LXXVII.  JOE-PYE-WEED,      . 
LXXVIII.  WILD  COLUMBINE, 
LXXIX.  WAKE  ROBIN, 
LXXX.  WOOD  LILY, 
LXXXI.  BUTTERFLY-WEED, 
LXXXII.  OSWEGO  TEA, 
LXXXIII.  CARDINAL-FLOWER, 
LXXXIV.  LIVERWORT,  . 
LXXXV.  BLUETS, 
LXXX VI.  ROBIN'S  PLANTAIN, 
LXXXVII.  WILD  GERANIUM, 
LXXXVIII.  BLUE-EYED  GRASS,      . 
LXXXIX.  FLEUR-DE-LIS,     . 

XC.  AMERICAN  BROOKLIME, 
XCI.  MONKEY-FLOWER, 
XCII.  BLUE  VERVAIN,  . 
XCIII.  SELF-HEAL, 
XCIV.  BLUEWEED, 
'XCV.  GREAT  LOBELIA, 
XCVI.  INDIAN  TOBACCO, 
XCVII.  BEACH  PEA, 
XCVIII.  CHICORY,  ".        „       . 
XCIX.  BLAZING  STAR,   . 
C.  CLOSED  GENTIAN, 
CL  FRINGED  GENTIAN,     . 
CII.  SKUNK  CABBAGE, 
CIII.  WILD  GINGER,    . 

CIV.    JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT,   . 


Poly  gala  polygama,  .  .  .187 

"       sanguined,  .  .  .187 

Apocynum  androsami folium,  .    189 

Rubus  odoratus,         .  .  .191 

Geranium  Robertianum,  .  .   195 

Saponaria  officinalis,  .  .    197 

Ly 'thrum  Salicaria,  .  .  .    199 

Rhexia  Virginica,     .  .  .201 

Sabbatia  stellaris,      .  .  .  203 

Sabbat  ia  ch  lor  aides,  .  .  .   205 

Hibiscus  Moscheutos,  .  .207 

Epilobium  angustifoliiim,  .  209 

Eupatorium  purpureum,  .  .211 

Aquilegia  Canadensis,  .  .215 

TrilKum  erectum,     .  .  .217 

Lilium  Philadelphicum,  .  .221 

Asclepias  tuber  osa,     .  .  .   223 

Monarda  didyma,      .  .  .  225 

Lobelia  cardinalis,     .  .  .227 

Hepatica  triloba,        .  .  -231 

Houstonia  carulea,   .  .  .   233 

Erigeron  bellidifolius,  .  .   237 

Geranium  maculatutn,  .  .   239 

Sisyrinchium  angustifolinm,  .    243 

Iris  versicolor,           .  .  .   245 

Veronica  Americana,  .  .  247 

Mimulus  ringens,      .  .  -251 

Verbena  hastata,        .  .  .   263 

Brtinella  vulgaris,    .  .  -255 

Echium  vulgare,       .  .  .   259 

Lobelia  syphilitica,    .  .  .261 

Lobelia  inflata,          .  .  .   263 

Lathyrus  maritimus,  .  .  265 

Cichorium  Intybus,  .  .  .  267 

Liatris  scariosa,        .  .  .271 

Gentiana  Andre%vsii»  .  -273 

Gentiana  crinita,       .  .  .   275 

Symplocarptis  fattidus,  .  .  277 

Asarum  Canadense,  .  .  279 

Ariscema  triphyllum,  .  .281 


MOST  young  people  find  botany  a  dull  study.  So  it  is,  as  taught  from 
the  text-books  in  the  schools ;  but  study  it  yourself  in  the  fields  and  woods, 
and  you  will  find  it  a  source  of  perennial  delight. 

JOHN  BURROUGHS. 


HOW  TO   KNOW  THE  WILD   FLOWERS 


INTRODUCTORY   CHAPTER 

UNTIL  a  comparatively  recent  period  the  interest  in  plants 
centred  largely  in  the  medicinal  properties,  and  sometimes  in 
the  supernatural  powers,  which  were  attributed  to  them. 

—  O  who  can  tell 
The  hidden  power  of  herbes  and  might  of  magick  spell  ? — 

sang  Spenser  in  the  "  Faerie  Queene  ;  "  and  to  this  day  the  names 
of  many  of  our  wayside  plants  bear  witness,  not  alone  to  the 
healing  properties  which  their  owners  were  supposed  to  possess, 
but  also  to  the  firm  hold  which  the  so-called  "  doctrine  of  sig- 
natures "  had  upon  the  superstitious  mind  of  the  public.  In  an 
early  work  on  "  The  Art  of  Simpling,"  by  one  William  Coles, 
we  read  as  follows:  "  Yet  the  mercy  of  God  which  is  over  all 
his  works,  maketh  Grasse  to  grow  upon  the  Mountains  and  Herbes 
for  the  use  of  men,  and  hath  not  only  stamped  upon  them  a  dis- 
tinct forme,  but  also  given  them  particular  signatures,  whereby  a 
man  may  read,  even  in  legible  characters,  the  use  of  them." 
Our  hepatica  or  liver-leaf,  owes  both  its  generic  and  English 
titles  to  its  leaves,  which  suggested  the  form  of  the  organ  after 
which  the  plant  is  named,  and  caused  it  to  be  considered  "a 
sovereign  remedy  against  the  heat  and  inflammation  of  the 
liver."* 

Although  his  once-renowned  system  of  classification  has 
since  been  discarded  on  account  of  its  artificial  character,  it  is 
probably  to  Linnaeus  that  the  honor  is  due  of  having  raised  the 

*  Lyte. 
I 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE  WILD  FLOWERS 

study  of  plants  to  a  rank  which  had  never  before  been  accorded 
it.  The  Swedish  naturalist  contrived  to  inspire  his  disciples 
with  an  enthusiasm  and  to  invest  the  flowers  with  a  charm  and 
personality  which  awakened  a  wide-spread  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject. It  is  only  since  his  day  that  the  unscientific  nature-lover, 
wandering  through  those  woods  and  fields  where 

—  wide  around,  the  marriage  of  the  plants 
Is  sweetly  solemnized — 

has  marvelled  to  find  the  same  laws  in  vogue  in  the  floral  as  in 
the  animal  world. 

To  Darwin  we  owe  our  knowledge  of  the  significance  of 
color,  form,  and  fragrance  in  flowers.  These  subjects  have  been 
widely  discussed  during  the  last  twenty-five  years,  because  of 
their  close  connection  with  the  theory  of  natural  selection  ;  they 
have  also  been  more  or  less  enlarged  upon  in  modern  text-books. 
Nevertheless,  it  seems  wiser  to  repeat  what  is  perhaps  already 
known  to  the  reader,  and  to  allude  to  some  of  the  interesting 
theories  connected  with  these  topics,  rather  than  to  incur  the  risk 
of  obscurity  by  omitting  all  explanation  of  facts  and  deductions 
to  which  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  refer. 

It  is  agreed  that  the  object  of  a  flower's  life  is  the  making  of 
seed,  i.e.,  the  continuance  of  its  kind.  Consequently  its  most 
essential  parts  are  its  reproductive  organs,  the  stamens,  and  the 
pistil  or  pistils. 

The  stamens  (p.  n)  are  the  fertilizing  organs.  These  pro- 
duce the  powdery,  quickening  material  called  pollen,  in  little 
sacs  which  are  borne  at  the  tips  of  their  slender  stalks. 

The  pistil  (p.  n)  is  the  seed-bearing  organ.  The  pollen- 
grains  which  are  deposited  on  its  roughened  summit  throw  out 
minute  tubes  which  reach  the  little  ovules  in  the  ovary  below 
and  quicken  them  into  life. 

These  two  kinds  of  organs  can  easily  be  distinguished  in  any 
large,  simple,  complete  flower  (p.  10).  The  pollen  of  the  sta- 
mens, and  the  ovules  which  line  the  base  of  the  pistil,  can  also 
be  detected  with  the  aid  of  an  ordinary  magnifying  glass. 

Now,  we  have  been  shown  that  nature  apparently  prefers  that 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 


the  pistil  of  a  flower  should  not  receive  its  pollen  from  the  stamens 
in  the  same  flower-cup  with  itself.  Experience  teaches  that, 
sometimes,  when  this  happens  no  seeds  result.  At  other  times 
the  seeds  appear,  but  they  are  less  healthy  and  vigorous  than 
those  which  are  the  outcome  of  cross-fertilization — the  term 
used  by  botanists  to  describe  the  quickening  of  the  ovules  in  one 
blossom  by  the  pollen  from  another. 

But  perhaps  we  hardly  realize  the  importance  of  abundant 
health  and  vigor  in  a  plant's  offspring. 

Let  us  suppose  that  our  eyes  are  so  keen  as  to  enable  us  to 
note  the  different  seeds  which,  during  one  summer,  seek  to  secure 
a  foothold  in  some  few  square  inches  of  the  sheltered  roadside. 
The  neighboring  herb  Roberts  and  jewel-weeds  discharge — 
catapult  fashion — several  small  invaders  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
little  territory.  A  battalion  of  silky-tufted  seeds  from  the 
cracked  pods  of  the  milkweed  float  downward  and  take  lazy 
possession  of  the  soil,  while  the  heavy  rains  wash  into  their  im- 
mediate vicinity  those  of  the  violet  from  the  overhanging  bank. 
The  hooked  fruit  of  the  stick-tight  is  finally  brushed  from  the 
hair  of  some  exasperated  animal  by  the  jagged  branches  of  the 
neighboring  thicket  and  is  deposited  on  the  disputed  ground, 
while  a  bird  passing  just  overhead  drops  earthward  the  seed  of 
the  partridge  berry.  The  ammunition  of  the  witch-hazel,  too, 
is  shot  into  the  midst  of  this  growing  colony ;  to  say  nothing  of 
a  myriad  more  little  squatters  that  are  wafted  or  washed  or 
dropped  or  flung  upon  this  one  bit  of  earth,  which  is  thus  trans- 
formed into  a  bloodless  battle-ground,  and  which  is  incapable  of 
yielding  nourishment  to  one-half  or  one-tenth  or  even  one  hun- 
dredth of  these  tiny  strugglers  for  life  ! 

So,  to  avoid  diminishing  the  vigor  of  their  progeny  by  self- 
fertilization  (the  reverse  of  cross-fertilization),  various  species 
take  various  precautions.  In  one  species  the  pistil  is  so  placed 
that  the  pollen  of  the  neighboring  stamens  cannot  reach  it.  In 
others  one  of  these  two  organs  ripens  before  the  other,  with 
the  result  that  the  contact  of  the  pollen  with  the  stigma  of  the 
pistil  would  be  ineffectual.  Often  the  stamens  and  pistils  are 
in  different  flowers,  sometimes  on  different  plants.  But  these 

3 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

pistils  must,  if  possible,  receive  the  necessary  pollen  in  some  way 
and  fulfil  their  destiny  by  setting  seed.  And  we  have  been 
shown  that  frequently  it  is  brought  to  them  by  insects,  occa- 
sionally by  birds,  and  that  sometimes  it  is  blown  to  them  by 
the  winds. 

Ingenious  devices  are  resorted  to  in  order  to  secure  these 
desirable  results.  Many  flowers  make  themselves  useful  to  the 
insect  world  by  secreting  somewhere  within  their  dainty  cups 
little  glands  of  honey,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  nectar,  for 
honey  is  the  result  of  the  bees'  work.  This  nectar  is  highly 
prized  by  the  insects  and  is,  in  many  cases,  the  only  object 
which  attracts  them  to  the  flowers,  although  sometimes  the  pollen, 
which  Darwin  believes  to  have  been  the  only  inducement  offered 
formerly,  is  sought  as  well. 

But  of  course  this  nectar  fails  to  induce  visits  unless  the  bee's 
attention  is  first  attracted  to  the  blossom,  and  it  is  tempted  to 
explore  the  premises ;  and  we  now  observe  the  interesting  fact 
that  those  flowers  which  depend  upon  insect-agency  for  their 
pollen,  usually  advertise  their  whereabouts  by  wearing  bright 
colors  or  by  exhaling  fragrance.  It  will  also  be  noticed  that 
a  flower  sufficiently  conspicuous  to  arrest  attention  by  its  ap- 
pearance alone  is  rarely  fragrant. 

When,  attracted  by  either  of  these  significant  characteristics, — 
color  or  fragrance, — the  bee  alights  upon  the  blossom,  it  is  some- 
times guided  to  the  very  spot  where  the  nectar  lies  hidden  by 
markings  of  some  vivid  color.  Thrusting  its  head  into  the  heart 
of  the  flower  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  the  secreted  treasure, 
it  unconsciously  strikes  the  stamens  with  sufficient  force  to  cause 
them  to  powder  its  body  with  pollen.  Soon  it  flies  away  to 
another  plant  of  the  same  kind,  where,  in  repeating  the  process 
just  described,  it  unwittingly  brushes  some  of  the  pollen  from 
the  first  blossom  upon  the  pistil  of  the  second,  where  it  helps  to 
make  new  seeds.  Thus  these  busy  bees  which  hum  so  restlessly 
through  the  long  summer  days  are  working  better  than  they 
know  and  are  accomplishing  more  important  feats  than  the  mere 
honey-making  which  we  usually  associate  with  their  ceaseless 
activity. 

4 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

Those  flowers  which  are  dependent  upon  night-flying  in- 
sects for  their  pollen,  contrive  to  make  themselves  noticeable 
by  wearing  white  or  pale  yellow, — red,  blue,  and  pink  being  with 
difficulty  detected  in  the  darkness.  They,  too,  frequently  in- 
dicate their  presence  by  exhaling  perfume,  which  in  many 
cases  increases  in  intensity  as  the  night  falls,  and  a  clue  to 
their  whereabouts  becomes  momentarily  more  necessary.  This 
fact  partially  accounts  for  the  large  proportion  of  fragrant 
white  flowers.  Darwin  found  that  the  proportion  of  sweet- 
scented  white  flowers  to  sweet-scented  red  ones  was  14.6  per 
cent,  of  white  to  8.2  of  red. 

We  notice  also  that  some  of  these  night-fertilized  flowers 
close  during  the  day,  thus  insuring  themselves  against  the  visits 
of  insects  which  might  rob  them  of  their  nectar  or  pollen,  and 
yet  be  unfitted  by  the  shape  of  their  bodies  to  accomplish  their 
fertilization.  On  the  other  hand,  many  blossoms  which  are 
dependent  upon  the  sun-loving  bees  close  at  night,  securing  the 
same  advantage. 

Then  there  are  flowers  which  close  in  the  shade,  others  at 
the  approach  of  a  storm,  thus  protecting  their  pollen  and  nectar 
from  the  dissolving  rain  ;  others  at  the  same  time  every  day. 
Linnaeus  invented  a  famous  "  flower-clock,"  which  indicated 
the  hours  of  the  day  by  the  closing  of  different  flowers.  This 
habit  of  closing  has  been  called  the  "  sleep  of  flowers." 

There  is  one  far  from  pleasing  class  of  flowers  which  entices 
insect-visitors, — not  by  attractive  colors  and  alluring  fragrance 
—but  "  by  deceiving  flies  through  their  resemblance  to  putrid 
meat — imitating  the  lurid  appearance  as  well  as  the  noisome 
smell  of  carrion."*  Our  common  carrion  flower,  which  covers 
the  thickets  so  profusely  in  early  summer  that  Thoreau  com- 
plained that  every  bush  and  copse  near  the  river  emitted  an 
odor  which  led  one  to  imagine  that  all  the  dead  dogs  in  the 
neighborhood  had  drifted  to  its  shore,  is  probably  an  example 
of  this  class,  without  lurid  color,  but  certainly  with  a  suf- 
ficiently noisome  smell !  Yet  this  foul  odor  seems  to  answer 
the  plant's  purpose  as  well  as  their  delicious  aroma  does  that  of 

*  Grant  Allen. 
5 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

more  refined  blossoms,  if  the  numberless  small  flies  which  it 
manages  to  attract  are  fitted  to  successfully  transmit  its  pollen. 

Certain  flowers  are  obviously  adapted  to  the  visits  of  in- 
sects by  their  irregular  forms.  The  fringed  or  otherwise  con- 
spicuous lip  and  long  nectar-bearing  spur  of  many  orchids  point 
to  their  probable  dependence  upon  insect-agency  for  perpetua- 
tion ;  while  the  papilionaceous  blossoms  of  the  Pulse  family  also 
betray  interesting  adaptations  for  cross-fertilization  by  the  same 
means.  Indeed  it  is  believed  that  irregularity  of  form  is  rarely 
conspicuous  in.  a  blossom  that  is  not  visited  by  insects. 

The  position  of  a  nodding  flower,  like  the  harebell,  protects 
its  pollen  and  nectar  from  the  rain  and  dew  ;  while  the  hairs  in 
the  throat  of  many  blossoms  answer  the  same  purpose  and  ex- 
clude useless  insects  as  well. 

Another  class  of  flowers  which  calls  for  special  mention  is  that 
which  is  dependent  upon  the  wind  for  its  pollen.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  observe  that  this  group  expends  little  effort  in  useless 
adornment.  "The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth  "  and  takes 
no  note  of  form  or  color.  So  here  we  find  those 

Wan  flowers  without  a  name, 

which,  unheeded,  line  the  way-side.  The  common  plantain  of 
the  country  door  yard,  from  whose  long  tremulous  stamens  the 
light,  dry  pollen  is  easily  blown,  is  a  familiar  example  of  this 
usually  ignored  class.  Darwin  first  observed,  that  "when  a 
flower  is  fertilized  by  the  wind  it  never  has  a  gayly  colored  co- 
rolla." Fragrance  and  nectar  as  well  are  usually  denied  these 
sombre  blossoms.  Such  is  the  occasional  economy  of  that  at 
times  most  reckless  of  all  spendthrifts — nature  ! 

Some  plants — certain  violets  and  the  jewel-weeds  among 
others — bear  small  inconspicuous  blossoms  which  depend  upon 
no  outside  agency  for  fertilization.  These  never  open,  thus  ef- 
fectually guarding  their  pollen  from  the  possibility  of  being 
blown  away  by  the  wind,  dissolved  by  the  rain,  or  stolen  by 
insects.  They  are  called  cleistogamous  flowers. 

Nature's  clever  devices  for  securing  a  wide  dispersion  of 
seeds  have  been  already  hinted  at.  One  is  tempted  to  dwell  at 

6 


INTRODUCTORY  CHAPTER 

length  upon  the  ingenious  mechanism  of  the  elastically  bursting 
capsules  of  one  species,  and  the  deft  adjustment  of  the  silky  sails 
which  waft  the  seeds  of  others ;  on  the  barbed  fruits  which  have 
pressed  the  most  unwilling  into  their  prickly  service,  and  the 
bright  berries  which  so  temptingly  invite  the  hungry  winter 
birds  to  peck  at  them  till  their  precious  contents  are  released, 
or  to  devour  them,  digesting  only  the  pulpy  covering  and  allow- 
ing the  seeds  to  escape  uninjured  into  the  earth  at  some  conveni- 
ently remote  spot. 

Then  one  would  like  to  pause  long  enough  to  note  the  slow 
movements  of  the  climbing  plants  and  the  uncanny  ways  of  the 
insect-devourers.  At  our  very  feet  lie  wonders  for  whose  eluci- 
dation a  lifetime  would  be  far  too  short.  Yet  if  we  study  for 
ourselves  the  mysteries  of  the  flowers,  and,  when  daunted,  seek 
their  interpretation  in  those  devoted  students  who  have  made 
this  task  part  of  their  life-work,  we  may  hope  finally  to  attain  at 
least  a  partial  insight  into  those  charmed  lives  which  find 

— tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running  brooks, 
Sermons  in  stones,  and  good  iu  everything. 


EXPLANATION   OF  TERMS 

THE  comprehension  of  the  flower  descriptions  and  of  the 
opening  chapters  will  be  facilitated  by  the  reading  of  the  fol- 
lowing explanation  of  terms.  For  words  or  expressions  other 
than  those  which  are  included  in  this  section,  the  Index  of 
Technical  Terms  at  the  end  of  the  book  should  be  consulted. 

The  Root  of  a  plant  is  the  part  which  grows  downward  into 
the  ground  and  absorbs  nourishment  from  the  soil.  True  roots 
bear  nothing  besides  root-branches  or  rootlets. 

"  The  Stem  is  the  axis  of  the  plant,  the  part  which  bears  all 
the  other  organs."  (Gray.) 

A  Rootstock  is  a  creeping  stem  which  grows  beneath  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth.  (See  Blood-root  and  Solomon's  Seal.  Pis.  I. 
and  X.) 

A  Tuber  is  a  thickened  end  of  a  rootstock,  bearing  buds, 
— "  eyes," — on  its  sides.  The  common  Potato  is  a  familiar  ex- 
ample of  a  tuber,  being  a  portion  of  the  stem  of  the  potato  plant. 

A  Corm  is  a  short,  thick,  fleshy  underground  stem  which 
sends  off  roots  from  its  lower  face.  (See  Jack  in  the  Pulpit, 
PI.  CIV.) 

A  Bulb  is  an  underground  stem,  the  main  body  of  which 
consists  of  thickened  scales,  which  are  in  reality  leaves  or  leaf 
bases,  as  in  the  onion. 

A  Simple  Stem  is  one  which  does  not  branch. 

A  Stemless  plant  is  one  which  bears  no  obvious  stem,  but 
only  leaves  and  flower-stalks,  as  in  the  Common  Blue  Violet 
and  Liver-leaf  (PI.  LXXXIV.). 

A  Scape  is  the  leafless  flower -stalk  of  a  stemless  plant.  (See 
Liver-leaf  (PI.  LXXXIV.). 

8 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS 

An  Entire  Leaf  is  one  the  edge  of  which  is  not  cut  or  lobed 
in  any  way.  (See  Rhododendron,  PI.  XVI.,  and  Closed  Gen- 
tian, PL  C.) 

A  Simple  Leaf  is  one  which  is  not  divided  into  leaflets ;  its 
edges  may  be  either  lobed  or  entire.  (See  Rhododendron,  PL 
XVI.  ;  also  Fig.  i.) 


Fig.  1. 


Fig.  2. 


Fig.  3. 


A  Compound  Leaf  is  one  which  is  divided  into  leaflets,  as  in 
the  Wild  Rose,  Pink  Clover,  and  Travellers'  Joy  (PL  XXXI., 
also  Fig.  2). 

A  Much-divided  Leaf  is  one  which  is  several  times  divided 
into  leaflets  (Fig.  3). 

The  Axil  of  a  leaf  is  the  upper  angle  formed  by  a  leaf  or  leaf- 
stalk and  the  stem. 

Flowers  which  grow  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves  are  said  to 
be  Axillary. 

A  cluster  in  which  the  flowers  are  arranged — each  on  its  own 
stalk — along  the  sides  of  a  common  stem  or  stalk  is  called  a 
Raceme.  (See  Cardinal-flower,  PL  LXXXIII.  ;  Shin-leaf,  PL 
XVIII.) 

A  cluster  in  which  the  flower-stalks  all  spring  from  ap- 
parently the  same  point,  as  in  the  Milkweeds,  somewhat  sug- 
gesting the  spreading  ribs  of  an  umbrella,  is  called  an  Umbel  (PL 
LXXXL). 

A  cluster  which  is  formed  of  a  number  of  small  umbels,  all  of 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE  WILD  FLOWERS 

the  stalks  of  which  start  from  apparently  the  same  point,  is  called 
a  Compound  Umbel.  (See  Wild  Carrot,  PL  XXVIII.) 

A  close,  circular  flower-cluster,  like  that  of  Pink  Clover  or 
Dandelion,  is  called  a  Head.  (See  Oswego  Tea,  PL  LXXXII.  ; 
Sunflower,  PL  LVII.) 

A  flower-cluster  along  the  lengthened  axis  of  which  the 
flowers  are  sessile  or  closely  set  is  called  a  Spike.  (See  Vervain, 
PL  XCII.  j  Mullein,  PL  LI.) 

A  Spadix  is  a  fleshy  spike  or  head,  with  small  and  often  im- 
perfect flowers,  as  in  the  Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  and  Skunk  Cabbage 
(Pis.  CII.  and  CIV.,  also  Fig.  4). 


-Ca 


Fig.  4. 


Fig.  5. 


Fig.  6. 


A  Spathe  is  the  peculiar  leaf-like  bract  which  usually  en- 
velopes a  spadix.  (See  Jack-in-the-Pulpit  and  Skunk  Cabbage, 
Pis.  CII.  and  CIV.,  also  Fig.  5.) 

A  leaf  or  flower  which  is  set  so  close  in  the  stem  as  to  show 
no  sign  of  a  separate  leaf  or  flower-stalk,  is  said  to  be  Sessile. 

A  Complete  Flower  (Fig.  6)  is  "  that  part  of  a  plant  which 
subserves  the  purpose  of  producing  seed,  consisting  of  stamens 
and  pistils,  which  are  the  essential  organs,  and  the  calyx  and 
corolla,  which  are  the  protecting  organs."  (Gray.) 

The  green  outer  flower-cup,  or  outer  set  of  green  leaves, 
which  we  notice  at  the  base  of  many  flowers,  is  the  Calyx  (Fig. 
6  Ca).  At  times  this  part  is  brightly  colored  and  may  be  the 
most  conspicuous  feature  of  the  flower. 

When  the  calyx  is  divided  into  separate  leaves,  these  leaves 
are  called  Sepals. 

10 


EXPLANATION  OF  TERMS 

The  inner  flower-cup  or  the  inner  set  of  leaves  is  the  Corolla 
(Fig.  6,  C). 

When  the  corolla  is  divided  into  separate  leaves,  these  leaves 
are  called  Petals. 

We  can  look  upon  calyx  and  corolla  as  the  natural  tapestry 
which  protects  the  delicate  organs  of  the  flower,  and  serves  as 
well,  in  many  cases,  to  attract  the  attention  of  passing  insects. 
In  some  flowers  only  one  of  these  two  parts  is  present ;  in  such 
a  case  the  single  cup  or  set  of  floral  leaves  is  generally  considered 
to  be  the  calyx. 

The  floral  leaves  may  be  spoken  of  collectively  as  the  Peri- 
anth. This  word  is  used  especially  in  describing  members  of 
families  where  there  might  be  difficulty  in  deciding  as  to  whether 
the  single  set  of  floral  leaves  present  should  be  considered  calyx 
or  corolla  (see  Lilies,  Pis.  XLV.  and  LXXX.)  ;  or  where  the 
petals  and  sepals  can  only  be  distinguished  with  difficulty,  as 
with  the  Orchids. 


-O 


Fig.  7.  Fig.  8. 

The  Stamens  (Fig.  7)  are  the  fertilizing  organs  of  the  flower. 
A  stamen  usually  consists  of  two  parts,  its  Filament  (F),  or  stalk, 
and  its  Anther  (A),  the  little  sac  at  the  tip  of  the  filament  which 
produces  the  dust-like,  fertilizing  substance  called  Pollen  (p.). 

The  Pistil  (Fig.  8)  is  the  seed-bearing  organ  of  the  flower. 
When  complete  it  consists  of  Ovary  (O),  Style  (Sty.),  and 
Stigma  (Stg.). 

The  Ovary  is  the  hollow  portion  at  the  base  of  the  pistil.  It 
contains  the  ovules  or  rudimentary  seeds  which  are  quickened 
into  life  by  the  pollen. 

ii 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

The  Style  is  the  slender  tapering  stalk  above  the  ovary. 

The  Stigma  is  usually  the  tip  of  the  style.  The  pollen-grains 
which  are  deposited  upon  its  moist  roughened  surface  throw  out 
minute  tubes  which  penetrate  to  the  little  ovules  of  the  ovary  and 
cause  them  to  ripen  into  seeds. 

A  flower  which  has  neither  stamens  nor  pistils  is  described  as 
Neutral. 

A  flower  with  only  one  kind  of  these  organs  is  termed  Uni- 
sexual. 

A  Male  or  Staminate  flower  is  one  with  stamens  but  without 
pistils. 

A  Female  or  Pistillate  flower  is  one  with  pistils  but  without 
stamens. 

The  Fruit  of  a  plant  is  the  ripened  seed-vessel  or  seed-vessels, 
including  the  parts  which  are  intimately  connected  with  it  or 
them. 


12 


NOTABLE   PLANT   FAMILIES 

ALTHOUGH  the  great  majority  of  plant  families  can  only  be 
distinguished  by  a  combination  of  characteristics  which  are  too 
obscure  to  obtain  any  general  recognition,  there  are  some  few 
instances  where  these  family  traits  are  sufficiently  conspicuous 
to  be  of  great  assistance  in  the  ready  identification  of  flowers. 

If,  for  instance,  we  recognize  at  sight  a  papilionaceous  blos- 
som and  know  that  such  an  one  only  occurs  in  the  Pulse  family, 
we  save  the  time  and  energy  which  might  otherwise  have  been 
expended  on  the  comparison  of  a  newly  found  blossom  of  this 
character  with  the  descriptions  of  flowers  of  a  different  lineage. 
Consequently  it  has  seemed  wise  briefly  to  describe  the  marked 
features  of  such  important  families  as  generally  admit  of  easy 
identification. 

Composite  Family. — It  is  fortunate  for  the  amateur  botanist 
that  the  plant  family  which  usually  secures  the  quickest  recog- 
nition should  also  be  the  largest  in  the  world.  The  members  of 
the  Composite  family  attract  attention  in  every  quarter  of  the 
globe,  and  make  themselves  evident  from  early  spring  till  late 
autumn,  but  more  especially  with  us  during  the  latter  season. 

The  most  noticeable  characteristic  of  the  Composites  is  the 
crowding  of  a  number  of  small  flowers  into  a  close  cluster  or 
head,  which  head  is  surrounded  by  an  involucre,  and  has  the 
effect  of  a  single  blossom.  Although  this  grouping  of  small 
flowers  in  a  head  is  not  peculiar  to  this  tribe,  the  same  thing  be- 
ing found  in  the  clovers,  the  milkworts,  and  in  various  other 
plants — still  a  little  experience  will  enable  one  to  distinguish  a 
Composite  without  any  analysis  of  the  separate  blossoms  which 
form  the  head. 


HO IV  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

These  heads  vary  greatly  in  size  and  appearance.  At  times 
they  are  large  and  solitary,  as  in  the  dandelion.  Again  they 
are  small  and  clustered,  as  in  the  yarrow  (PL  XXVIII. ). 

In  some  genera  they  are  composed  of  flowers  which  are  all 
similar  in  form  and  color,  as  in  the  dandelion,  where  all  the 
corollas  are  strap-shaped  and  yellow ;  or,  as  in  the  common 
thistle,  where  they  are  all  tubular-shaped  and  pinkish-purple. 

In  others  they  are  made  up  of  both  kinds  of  flowers,  as  in 
the  daisy,  where  only  the  yellow  central  or  disk-flowers  are  tu- 
bular-shaped, while  the  white  outer  or  ray -flowers  are  strap- 
shaped.  The  flower-heads  of  the  well-known  asters  and  golden 
rods  are  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk -flowers  also  ;  but  while 
the  ray-flowers  of  the  aster,  like  those  of  the  daisy,  wear  a  dif- 
ferent color  from  the  yellow  disk-flowers,  both  kinds  are  yellow 
in  the  golden  rod. 

If  the  dandelion  or  the  chicory  (PL  XCVIII.)  is  studied  as  an 
example  of  a  head  which  is  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  blos- 
soms ;  the  common  thistle  or  the  stick-tight  (PL  LVIII.)  as  an  ex- 
ample of  one  which  is  made  up  of  tubular -shaped  blossoms ;  and 
the  daisy  or  the  sunflower  (PL  LVII.)  as  an  example  of  one  which 
combines  ray  and  disk-flowers — as  the  strap-shaped  and  tubular 
blossoms  are  called  when  both  are  present — there  need  be  little 
difficulty  in  the  after  recognition  of  a  member  of  this  family. 
The  identification  of  a  particular  species  or  even  genus  will  be  a 
less  simple  matter ;  the  former  being  a  task  which  has  been 
known  to  tax  the  patience  of  even  advanced  botanists. 

Mr.  Grant  Allen  believes  that  the  Composites  largely  owe 
their  universal  sway  to  their  "  co-operative  system."  He  says  : 
"  If  we  look  close  into  the  Daisy  we  see  that  its  centre  com- 
prises a  whole  mass  of  little  yellow  bells,  each  of  which  consists 
of  corolla,  stamens,  and  pistil.  The  insect  which  alights  on  the 
head  can  take  his  fill  in  a  leisurely  way,  without  moving  from 
his  standing-place ;  and  meanwhile  he  is  proving  a  good  ally  of 
the  plant  by  fertilizing  one  after  another  of  its  numerous  ovaries. 
Each  tiny  bell  by  itself  would  prove  too  inconspicuous  to  attract 
much  attention  from  the  passing  bee ;  but  union  is  strength  for 
the  Daisy  as  for  the  State,  and  the  little  composites  have  found 

14 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 


their  co-operative  system  answer  so  well,  that  late  as  was  their 
appearance  upon  the  earth  they  are  generally  considered  at  the 
present  day  to  be  the  most  numerous  family  both  in  species  and 
individuals  of  all  flowering  plants."  While  those  of  us  who 
know  the  country  lanes  at  that  season  when 

—ranks  of  seeds  their  witness  bear, 

feel  that  much  of  their  omnipresence  is  due  to  their  unsur- 
passed facilities  for  globe-trotting.  Our  roadsides  every  autumn 
are  lined  with  tall  golden-rods,  whose  brown,  velvety  clusters 
are  composed  of  masses  of  tiny  seeds  whose  downy  sails  are  set 
for  their  aerial  voyage ;  with  asters,  whose  myriad  flower-heads 
are  transformed  into  little  puff-balls  which  are  awaiting  disso- 
lution by  the  November  winds,  and  with  others  of  the  tribe 
whose  hooked  seeds  win  a  less  ethereal  but  equally  effective 
transportation. 

Parsley  Family, — The  most  familiar  representative  of  the 
Parsley  family  is  the  wild  carrot,  which  so  profusely  decks 
the  highways  throughout  the  summer  with  its  white,  lace-like 
clusters  ;  while  the  meadow  parsnip  is  perhaps  the  best  known 
of  its  yellow  members. 

This  family  can  usually  be  recognized  by  the  arrangement  of 
its  minute  flowers  in  umbels  (p.  9),  which  umbels  are  again  so 
clustered  as  to  form  a  compound  umbel  (Wild  Carrot,  PI. 
XXVIII.)  whose  radiating  stalks  suggest  the  ribs  of  an  umbrella, 
and  give  this  Order  its  Latin  name  of  Umbelliferce. 

A  close  examination  of  the  tiny  flowers  which  compose  these 
umbrella-like  clusters  discovers  that  each  one  has  five  white 
or  yellow  petals,  five  stamens,  and  a  two-styled  pistil.  Some- 
times the  calyx  shows  five  minute  teeth.  The  leaves  are  usually 
divided  into  leaflets  or  segments  which  are  often  much  toothed 
or  incised. 

The  Parsleys  are  largely  distinguished  from  one  another  by 
differences  in  their  fruit,  which  can  only  be  detected  with  the 
aid  of  a  microscope.  It  is  hoped,  however,  that  the  more  com- 
mon and  noticeable  species  will  be  recognized  by  means  of 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 


descriptions  which  give  their  general  appearance,  season  of 
blooming,  and  favorite  haunts. 

Pulse  Family. — The  Pulse  family  includes  many  of  our  com- 
mon wood-  and  field-flowers.  The  majority  of  its  members  are 
easily  distinguished  by  those  irregular,  butter  fly -shaped  blos- 
soms which  are  described  as  papilionaceous.  The  sweet  pea  is  a 
familiar  example  of  such  a  flower,  and  a  study  of  its  curious 
structure  renders  easy  the  after  identification  of  a  papilionaceous 
blossom,  even  if  it  be  as  small  as  one  of  the  many  which  make 
up  the  head  of  the  common  pink  clover. 

The  calyx  of  such  a  flower  is  of  five  more  or  less — and  some- 
times unequally — united  sepals.  The  corolla  consists  of  five 
irregular  petals,  the  upper  one  of  which  is  generally  wrapped 
about  the  others  in  bud,  while  it  spreads  or  turns  backward  in 
flower.  This  petal  is  called  the  standard.  The  two  side  petals 
are  called  wings.  The  two  lower  ones  are  usually  somewhat 
united  and  form  a  sort  of  pouch  which  encloses  the  stamens  and 
style ;  this  is  called  the  keel,  from  a  fancied  likeness  to  the 
prow  of  an  ancient  vessel.  There  are  usually  ten  stamens  and 
one  pistil. 

These  flowers  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  cross-fertilization 
through  insect  agency,  although  one  might  imagine  the  con- 
trary to  be  the  case  from  the  relative  positions  of  stamens 
and  pistil.  In  the  pea-blossom,  for  example,  the  hairy  portion 
of  the  style  receives  the  pollen  from  the  early  maturing  stamens. 
The  weight  of  a  visiting  bee  projects  the  stigma  and  the  pollen- 
laden  style  against  the  insect's  body.  But  it  must  be  observed 
that  in  this  action  the  stigma  first  brushes  against  the  bee,  while 
the  pollen-laden  style  touches  him  later,  with  the  result  that  the 
bee  soon  flies  to  another  flower  on  whose  fresh  stigma  the  de- 
tached pollen  is  left,  while  a  new  cargo  of  this  valuable  material 
is  unconsciously  secured,  and  the  same  process  is  indefinitely  re- 
peated. 

Mint  Family. — A  member  of  the  Mint  family  usually  exhales 
an  aromatic  fragrance  which  aids  us  to  place  it  correctly.  If  to 
this  characteristic  is  added  a  square  stem,  opposite  leaves,  a  two- 
lipped  corolla,  four  stamens  in  pairs — two  being  longer  than  the 

16 


NOTABLE  PLANT  FAMILIES 

others — or  two  stamens  only,  and  a  pistil  whose  style  (two- 
lobed  at  the  apex)  rises  from  a  deeply  four-lobed  ovary  which 
splits  apart  in  fruit  into  four  little  seed-like  nutlets,  we  may  feel 
sure  that  one  of  the  many  Mints  is  before  us. 

Sometimes  we  think  we  have  encountered  one  of  the  family 
because  we  find  the  opposite  leaves,  two-lipped  corolla,  four 
stamens,  and  an  ovary  that  splits  into  four  nutlets  in  fruit ;  but 
unless  the  ovary  was  also  deeply  four-lobed  in  the  flower,  the 
plant  is  probably  a  Vervain,  a  tribe  which  greatly  resembles  the 
Mints.  The  Figworts,  too,  might  be  confused  with  the  Mints 
did  we  not  always  keep  in  mind  the  four-lobed  ovary. 

In  this  family  we  find  the  common  catnip  and  pennyroyal, 
the  pretty  ground  ivy,  and  the  handsome  bee  balm  (PL  LXXXIL). 

Mustard  Family, — The  Mustard  family  is  one  which  is 
abundantly  represented  in  waste  places  everywhere  by  the  little 
shepherd's  purse  or  pickpocket,  and  along  the  roadsides  by  the 
yellow  mustard,  wild  radish,  and  winter-cress  (PI.  XLIL). 

Its  members  may  be  recognized  by  their  alternate  leaves, 
their  biting  harmless  juice,  and  by  their  white,  yellow,  or  pur- 
plish flowers,  the  structure  of  which  at  once  betrays  the  family  to 
which  they  belong. 

The  calyx  of  these  flowers  is  divided  into  four  sepals.  The 
four  petals  are  placed  opposite  each  other  in  pairs,  their  spread- 
ing blades  forming  a  cross  which  gives  the  Order  its  Latin  name 
Cruciferce.  There  are  usually  six  stamens,  two  of  which  are  in- 
serted lower  down  than  the  others.  The  single  pistil  becomes 
in  fruit  a  pod.  Many  of  the  Mustards  are  difficult  of  identifica- 
tion without  a  careful  examination  of  their  pods  and  seeds. 

Orchis  Family. — To  the  minds  of  many  the  term  orchid  only 
suggests  a  tropical  air-plant,  which  is  rendered  conspicuous  either 
by  its  beauty  or  by  its  unusual  and  noticeable  structure. 

This  impression  is,  perhaps,  partly  due  to  the  rude  print  in 
some  old  text-book  which  endeared  itself  to  our  childish  minds 
by  those  startling  and  extravagant  illustrations  which  are  re- 
sponsible for  so  many  shattered  illusions  in  later  life  ;  and  partly 
to  the  various  exhibitions  of  flowers  in  which  only  the  exotic 
members  of  this  family  are  displayed. 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE   WILD  FLOWERS 

Consequently,  when  the  dull  clusters  of  the  ragged  fringed 
orchis,  or  the  muddy  racemes  of  the  coral-root,  or  even  the 
slender,  graceful  spires  of  the  ladies'  tresses  are  brought  from 
the  woods  or  roadside  and  exhibited  as  one  of  so  celebrated  a 
tribe,  they  are  usually  viewed  with  scornful  incredulity,  or,  if 
the  authority  of  the  exhibitor  be  sufficient  to  conquer  disbelief, 
with  unqualified  disappointment.  The  marvellous  mechanism 
which  is  exhibited  by  the  humblest  member  of  the  Orchis  family, 
and  which  suffices  to  secure  the  patient  scrutiny  and  wonder- 
ing admiration  of  the  scientist,  conveys  to  the  uninitiated  as  lit- 
tle of  interest  or  beauty  as  would  a  page  of  Homer  in  the  orig- 
inal to  one  without  scholarly  attainments. 

The  uprooting  of  a  popular  theory  must  be  the  work  of  years, 
especially  when  it  is  impossible  to  offer  as  a  substitute  one 
which  is  equally  capable  of  being  tersely  defined  and  readily  ap- 
prehended ;  for  many  seem  to  hold  it  a  righteous  principle  to 
cherish  even  a  delusion  till  it  be  replaced  by  a  belief  which  af- 
fords an  equal  amount  of  satisfaction.  It  is  simpler  to  describe 
an  orchid  as  a  tropical  air-plant  which  apes  the  appearance  of 
an  insect  and  never  roots  in  the  ground  than  it  is  to  master  by 
patient  study  and  observation  the  various  characteristics  which 
so  combine  in  such  a  plant  as  to  make  it  finally  recognizable  and 
describable.  Unfortunately,  too,  the  enumeration  of  these  un- 
sensational  details  does  not  appeal  to  the  popular  mind,  and  so 
fails  to  win  by  its  accuracy  the  place  already  occupied  by  the  in- 
correct but  pleasing  conception  of  an  orchid. 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  wish  to  be  able  to  correctly  place 
these  curious  and  interesting  flowers,  as  brief  a  description  as 
seems  compatible  with  their  recognition  is  appended. 

Leaves.  — Alternate,  parallel-nerved. 

Flowers. — Irregular  in  form,  solitary  or  clustered,  each  one 
subtended  by  a  bract. 

Perianth. — Of  six  divisions  in  two  sets.  The  three  outer 
divisions  are  sepals,  but  they  are  usually  petal-like  in  appearance. 
The  three  inner  are  petals.  By  a  twist  of  the  ovary  what  would 
otherwise  be  the  upper  petal  is  made  the  lower.  This  division  is 
termed  the  lip  ;  it  is  frequently  brightly  colored  or  grotesquely 

18 


NOTABLE   PLANT  FAMILIES 

shaped,  being  at  times  deeply  fringed  or  furrowed ;  it  has  often 
a  spur-like  appendage  which  secretes  nectar;  it  is  an  important 
feature  of  the  flower  and  is  apparently  designed  to  attract  insects 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  their  aid  in  the  cross-fertilization 
which  is  usually  necessary  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  different 
species  of  this  family,  all  of  which  give  evidence  of  great  modi- 
fication by  means  of  insect-selection. 

In  the  heart  of  the  flower  is  the  column  ;  this  is  usually  com- 
posed of  the  stamen  (of  two  in  the  Cypripediums) ,  which  is  con- 
fluent with  the  style  or  thick,  fleshy  stigma.  The  two  cells  of 
the  anther  are  placed  on  either  side  of  and  somewhat  above  the 
stigma ;  these  cells  hold  the  two  pollen  masses. 

Darwin  tells  us  that  the  flower  of  an  orchid  originally  con- 
sisted of  fifteen  different  parts,  three  petals,  three  sepals,  six 
stamens,  and  three  pistils.  He  shows  traces  of  all  these  parts  in 
the  modern  orchid. 


FLOWER    DESCRIPTIONS 


A  fresh  footpath,  a  fresh  flower,  a  fresh  delight " 

RICHARD  JEFFEKIES 


21 


I 
WHITE 

BLOOD-ROOT. 

Sanguinaria  Canadensis.     Poppy  Family. 

Rootstock. — Thick,  charged  with  a  crimson  juice.  Scape. — Naked,  one- 
flowered.  Leaves. — Rounded,  deeply-lobed.  Flower. — White,  terminal. 
Calyx. — Of  two  sepals  falling  early.  Corolla. — Of  eight  to  twelve  snow- 
white  petals.  Stamens. — About  twenty-four.  Pistil. — One,  short. 

In  early  April  the  firm  tip  of  the  curled-up  leaf  of  the  blood- 
root  pushes  through  the  earth  and  brown  leaves,  bearing  within 
its  carefully  shielded  burden — the  young  erect  flower-bud.  When 
the  perils  of  the  way  are  passed  and  a  safe  height  is  reached  this 
pale,  deeply  lobed  leaf  resigns  its  precious  charge  and  gradually 
unfolds  itself;  meanwhile  the  bud  slowly  swells  into  a  blossom. 

Surely  no  flower  of  all  the  year  can  vie  with  this  in  spotless 
beauty.  Its  very  transitoriness  enhances  its  charm.  The  snowy 
petals  fall  from  about  their  golden  centre  before  one  has  had 
time  to  grow  satiated  with  their  perfection.  Unless  the  rocky 
hillsides  and  wood-borders  are  jealously  watched  it  may  escape  us 
altogether.  One  or  two  warm  sunny  days  will  hasten  it  to  maturi- 
ty, and  a  few  more  hours  of  wind  and  storm  shatter  its  loveliness. 

Care  should  be  taken  in  picking  the  flower — if  it  must  be 
picked — as  the  red  liquid  which  oozes  blood-like  from  the 
wounded  stem  makes  a  lasting  stain.  This  crimson  juice  was 
prized  by  the  Indians  for  decorating  their  faces  and  tomahawks. 

SHAD-BUSH.    JUNE-BERRY.    SERVICE-BERRY. 

Amelanchier  oblongifolia.     Rose  Family. 

A  tall  shrub  or  small  tree  found  in  low  ground.  Leaves. — Oblong, 
acutely  pointed,  finely  toothed,  mostly  rounded  at  base.  Flowers. — White, 
growing  in  racemes.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla.  —  Of  five  rather  long 

22 


PLATE  I 


BLOOD-ROOT.— S.  Canadensis. 
23 


WHITE 

petals.  Stamens. — Numerous,  short.  Pistils. — With  five  styles.  Fruit. — 
Round,  red,  berry-like,  sweet  and  edible,  ripening  in  June. 

Down  in  the  boggy  meadow  in  early  March  we  can  almost 
fancy  that  from  beneath  the  solemn  purple  cowls  of  the  skunk- 
cabbage  brotherhood  comes  the  joyful  chorus — 

For  lo,  the  winter  is  past ! — 

but  we  chilly  mortals  still  find  the  wind  so  frosty  and  the  woods 
so  unpromising  that  we  return  shivering  to  the  fireside  and  refuse 
to  take  up  the  glad  strain  till  the  feathery  clusters  of  the  shad-bush 
droop  from  the  pasture  thicket.  Then  only  are  we  ready  to 
admit  that 

The  flowers  appear  upon  the  earth, 
The  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come. 

Even  then,  search  the  woods  as  we  may,  we  shall  hardly  find 
thus  early  in  April  another  shrub  in  blossom,  unless  it  be  the 
spice-bush,  whose  tiny  honey-yellow  flowers  escape  all  but  the 
careful  observer.  The  shad-bush  has  been  thus  named  because  of 
its  flowering  at  the  season  when  shad  "run ;  "  June-berry,  because 
the  shrub's  crimson  fruit  surprises  us  by  gleaming  from  the  copses 
at  the  very  beginning  of  summer ;  service-berry,  because  of  the 
use  made  by  the  Indians  of  this  fruit,  which  they  gathered  in 
great  quantities,  and,  after  much  crushing  and  pounding,  utilized 
in  a  sort  of  cake. 

WOOD  ANEMONE.    WIND-FLOWER. 

Anemone  nemorosa.      Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Slender.  Leaves. — Divided  into  delicate  leaflets.  Flower. — 
Solitary,  white,  pink,  or  purplish.  Calyx. — Of  from  four  to  seven  petal-like 
sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Numerous. 

— Within  the  woods, 

Whose  young  and  half  transparent  leaves  scarce  cast 
A  shade,  gay  circles  of  anemones 
Danced  on  their  stalks  ; 


writes  Bryant,  bringing  vividly  before  us  the  feathery  foliage  of 
the  spring  woods,  and  the  tremulous  beauty  of  the  slender- 
stemmed  anemones.  Whittier,  too,  tells  how  these 

— wind  flowers  sway 
Against  the  throbbing  heart  of  May. 

,4 


PLATE  II 


RUE  ANEMONE.— A.  thalictroides.          WOOD  ANEMONE  —A.  nemorosa. 

25 


WHITE 


And  in  the  writings  of  the  ancients  as  well  we  could  find  many 
allusions  to  the  same  flower  were  we  justified  in  believing  that 
the  blossom  christened  the  "  wind-shaken,"  by  some  poet  flower- 
lover  of  early  Greece,  was  identical  with  our  modern  anemone. 

Pliny  tells  us  that  the  anemone  of  the  classics  was  so  entitled 
because  it  opened  at  the  wind's  bidding.  The  Greek  tradition 
claims  that  it  sprang  from  the  passionate  tears  shed  by  Venus 
over  the  body  of  the  slain  Adonis.  At  one  time  it  was  believed 
that  the  wind  which  had  passed  over  a  field  of  anemones  was 
poisoned  and  that  disease  followed  in  its  wake.  Perhaps  because 
of  this  superstition  the  flower  was  adopted  as  the  emblem  of  sick- 
ness by  the  Persians.  Surely  our  delicate  blossom  is  far  removed 
from  any  suggestion  of  disease  or  unwholesomeness,  seeming  in- 
stead to  hold  the  very  essence  of  spring  and  purity  in  its  quiver- 
ing cup. 

RUE  ANEMONE. 

Anemonella  thalictroides.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  rounded  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — White  or  pinkish,  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  to  ten  petal- 
like  sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Four  to 
fifteen. 

The  rue  anemone  seems  to  linger  especially  about  the  spread- 
ing roots  of  old  trees.  It  blossoms  with  the  wood  anemone, 
from  which  it  differs  in  bearing  its  flowers  in  clusters. 

STAR-FLOWER. 

Trientalis  Americana.      Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth,  erect.  Leaves. — Thin,  pointed,  whorled  at  the  summit 
of  the  stem.  Floivers. — White,  delicate,  star- shaped.  Calyx. — Gener- 
ally seven-parted.  Corolla. — Generally  seven-parted,  flat,  spreading. — Sta- 
mens.— Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One. 

Finding  this  delicate  flower  in  the  May  woods,  one  is  at  once 
reminded  of  the  anemone.  The  whole  effect  of  plant,  leaf,  and 
snow-white  blossom  is  starry  and  pointed.  The  frosted  tapering 
petals  distinguish  it  from  the  rounded  blossoms  of  the  wild  straw- 
berry, near  which  it  often  grows. 


26 


PLATE  III 


STAR   FLOWER. 

— T.  Americana. 


Fruit. 


Maianthemum  Canadense. 
27 


Flower. 


WHITE 


Maianthemum   Canadense.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  six  inches  high,  with  two  or  three  leaves.  Leaves. — 
Lance-shaped  to  oval,  heart-shaped  at  base.  F lowers. — White  or  straw- 
color,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Perianth. — Four-parted.  Stamens. — Four. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — A  red  berry. 

It  seems  unfair  that  this  familiar  and  pretty  little  plant  should 
be  without  any  homely  English  name.  Its  botanical  title  signi- 
fies "Canada  Mayflower,"  but  while  it  undoubtedly  grows  in 
Canada  and  flowers  in  May,  the  name  is  not  a  happy  one,  for  it 
abounds  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina,  and  is  not  the  first  blos- 
som to  be  entitled  ' '  Mayflower. ' ' 

In  late  summer  the  red  berries  are  often  found  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  fruit  of  the  shin-leaf  and  pipsissewa. 

GOLD  THREAD. 

Coptis  trifolia.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  three  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Evergreen,  shining, 
divided  into  three  leaflets.  Flowers. — Small,  white,  solitary.  Calyx. — Of 
five  to  seven  petal-like  sepals  which  fall  early.  Corolla. — Of  five  to  seven 
club-shaped  petals.  Stamens. — Fifteen  to  twenty-five.  Pistils. — Three  to 
seven.  Root. — Of  long,  bright  yellow  fibres. 

This  little  plant  abundantly  carpets  the  northern  bogs  and 
extends  southward  over  the  mountains,  its  tiny  flowers  appear- 
ing in  May.  Its  bright  yellow  thread-like  roots  give  it  its 
common  name. 

PYXIE.    FLOWERING -MOSS. 

Pyxidanthera  barbulata.     Order  Diapensiacea. 

Stems. — Prostrate  and  creeping,  branching.  Leaves. — Narrowly  lance- 
shaped,  awl-pointed.  Flowers. — White  or  pink,  small,  numerous.  Calyx. 
— Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

In  early  spring  we  may  look  for  the  white  flowers  of  this 
moss-like  plant  in  the  sandy  pine-woods  of  New  Jersey  and 
southward.  At  Lake  wood  they  appear  even  before  those  of  the 
trailing  arbutus  which  grows  in  the  same  localities.  The  gen- 
eric name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify  a  small  box 
and  anther ;  and  refers  to  the  anthers,  which  open  as  if  by  a  lid. 


28 


WHITE 


CRINKLE-ROOT.    TOOTHWORT.    PEPPER-ROOT. 

Dentaria  diphylla.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Rootstock. — Five  to  ten  inches  long,  wrinkled,  crisp,  of  a  pleasant,  pun- 
gent taste.  Stem. — Leafless  below,  bearing  two  leaves  above.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  three  toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — White,  in  a  terminal  cluster. 
Pod. — Flat  and  lance-shaped. 

The  crinkle-root  has  been  valued— not  so  much  on  account 
of  its  pretty  flowers  which  may  be  found  in  the  rich  May  woods 
— but  for  its  crisp  edible  root  which  has  lent  savor  to  many  a 
simple  luncheon  in  the  cool  shadows  of  the  forest. 

SPRING-CRESS. 

Cardamine  rhomboidea.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Rootstock. — Slender,  bearing  small  tubers.  Stem. — From  a  tuberous 
base,  upright,  slender.  Root-leaves. — Round  and  often  heart-shaped. — 
Stem-leaves. — The  lower  rounded,  the  upper  almost  lance-shaped.  Flowers. 
— White,  large.  Pod. — Flat,  lance-shaped,  pointed  with  a  slender  style 
tipped  with  a  conspicuous  stigma  ;  smaller  than  that  of  the  crinkle-root. 

The  spring-cress  grows  abundantly  in  the  wet  meadows  and 
about  the  borders  of  springs.  Its  large  white  flowers  appear  as 
early  as  April,  lasting  until  June. 

WHITLOW-GRASS. 

Draba  verna. .    Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Scapes. — One  to  three  inches  high.  Leaves. — All  from  the  root,  oblong 
or  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — White,  with  two-cleft  petals.  Pod. — Flat,  vary- 
ing from  oval  to  oblong,  lance-shaped. 

This  little  plant  may  be  found  flowering  along  the  roadsides 
and  in  sandy  places  during  April  and  May.  It  has  come  to  us 
from  Europe. 

SHEPHERD'S  PURSE. 

Capsella  Bursa-pastoris.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — Low,  branching.  Root-leaves. — Clustered,  incised  or  toothed. 
Stem-leaves. — Arrow-shaped,  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers. — White, 
small,  in  general  structure  resembling  other  members  of  the  Mustard  family. 
Pod. — Triangular,  heart-shaped. 

This  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  our  wayside  weeds,  working 
its  way  everywhere  with  such  persistency  and  appropriating 
other  people's  property  so  shamelessly,  that  it  has  won  for  itself 
the  nickname  of  pickpocket.  Its  popular  title  arose  from  the 
shape  of  its  little  seed-pods. 

29- 


WHITE 


MAY-APPLE.    MANDRAKE. 

Podophylhim  peltatum.      Barberry  Family. 

Flowering-stem.  — Two-leaved,  one-flowered.  Flowerless-stems.  — Ter- 
minated by  one  large,  rounded,  much-lobed  leaf.  Leaves  (of  flowering- 
stems). — One-sided,  five  to  nine-lobed,  the  lobes  oblong,  the  leaf-stalks 
fastened  to  their  lower  side  near  the  inner  edge.  Flower. — White,  large, 
nodding  from  the  fork  made  by  the  two  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  six  early-falling 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  six  to  nine  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Twice  as  many 
as  the  petals.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  large,  thick  stigma  set  close  to  the 
ovary.  Fruit. — A  large,  fleshy,  egg-shaped  berry,  sweet  and  edible. 

"  The  umbrellas  are  out  !  "  cry  the  children,  when  the  great 
green  leaves  of  the  May-apple  first  unfold  themselves  in  spring. 
These  curious-looking  leaves  at  once  betray  the  hiding-place  of 
the  pretty  but  unpleasantly  odoriferous  flower  which  nods  be- 
neath them.  They  lie  thickly  along  the  woods  and  meadows  in 
many  parts  of  the  country,  arresting  one's  attention  by  the 
railways.  The  fruit,  which  ripens  in  July,  has  been  given  the 
name  of  "  wild  lemon,"  in  some  places  on  account  of  its  shape. 
It  was  valued  by  the  Indians  for  medicinal  purposes,  and  its 
mawkish  flavor  still  seems  to  find  favor  with  the  children, 
notwithstanding  its  frequently  unpleasant  after-effects.  The 
leaves  and  roots  are  poisonous  if  taken  internally,  and  are  said 
to  have  been  used  as  a  pot  herb,  with  fatal  results.  They  yield 
an  extract  which  has  been  utilized  in  medicine. 

TWIN-LEAF.    RHEUMATISM-ROOT. 

Jeffersonia  diphylla.     Barberry  Family. 

A  low  plant.  Leaves. — From  the  root,  long-stalked,  parted  into  two 
rounded  leaflets.  Scape. — One-flowered.  Flower. — White,  one  inch  broad. 
Sepals. — Four,  falling  early.  Petals. — Eight  ;  flat,  oblong.  Stamens. — 
Eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

The  twin-leaf  is  often  found  growing  with  the  blood-root  in 
the  woods  of  April  or  May.  It  abounds  somewhat  west  and 
southward. 

HARBINGER-OF-SPRING. 
Erigenia  bulbosa.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

Stem. — Three  to  nine  inches  high,  from  a  deep  round  tuber.  Leaves. — 
One  or  two,  divided  into  linear-oblong  leaf-segments.  Flowers. — White, 
small,  few,  in  a  leafy-bracted  compound  umbel. 

The  pretty  little  harbinger-of-spring  should  be  easily  identi- 
fied by  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  find  it,  for  it  is  one  of 

30 


PLATE  IV 


Fruit. 


MAY-APPLE  —P.  peltatum. 
31 


WHITE 


the  smallest  members  of  the  Parsley  family.  It  is  only  common 
in  certain  localities,  being  found  in  abundance  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Washington,  where  its  flowers  appear  as  early  as  March. 

EARLY  EVERLASTING.    PLANTAIN-LEAVED  EVERLASTING. 

Antennaria  plantaginifolia.     Composite   Family  (p.  13). 

Stems. — Downy  or  woolly,  three  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Leaves. — 
Silky,  woolly  when  young  ;  those  from  the  root,  oval,  three-nerved  ;  those  on 
the  flowering  stems,  small,  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Crowded,  clus- 
tered, small,  yellowish-white,  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers. 

In  early  spring  the  hillsides  are  whitened  with  this,  the  earli- 
est of  the  everlastings. 

SPRING  BEAUTY. 

Claytonia   Virginica.     Purslane  Family. 

Stem. — From  a  small  tuber,  often  somewhat  reclining.  Leaves. — Two  ; 
opposite,  long  and  narrow.  Flowers. — White,  with  pink  veins,  or  pink  with 
deeper-colored  veins,  growing  in  a  loose  cluster.  Calyx. — Of  two  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  style  three- 
cleft  at  apex. 

So  bashful  when  I  spied  her,  So  breathless  when  I  passed  her, 

So  pretty,  so  ashamed  !  So  helpless  when  I  turned 

So  hidden  in  her  leaflets  And  bore  her  struggling,  blushing, 

Lest  anybody  find  :  Her  simple  haunts  beyond  ! 

For  whom  I  robbed  the  dingle, 

For  whom  betrayed  the  dell, 

Many  will  doubtless  ask  me, 

But  I  shall  never  tell ! 

Yet  we  are  all  free  to  guess — and  what  flower — at  least  in  the 
early  year,  before  it  has  gained  that  touch  of  confidence  which 
it  acquires  later — is  so  bashful,  so  pretty,  so  flushed  with  rosy 
shame,  so  eager  to  defend  its  modesty  by  closing  its  blushing 
petals  when  carried  off  by  the  despoiler — as  the  spring  beauty  ? 
To  be  sure,  she  is  not  ' '  hidden  in  her  leaflets, ' '  although  often 
seeking  concealment  beneath  the  leaves  of  other  plants — but 
why  not  assume  that  Miss  Dickinson  has  availed  herself  of  some- 
thing of  the  license  so  freely  granted  to  poets — especially,  it 
seems  to  me — to  poets  of  nature  ?  Perhaps  of  this  class  few  are 
more  accurate  than  she,  and  although  we  wonder  at  the  sudden 
blindness  which  leads  her  to  claim  that 

— Nature  rarer  uses  yellow 
Than  another  hue — 

32 


PLATE  V 


SPRING   BEAUTY.-?, 

33 


WHITE 


when  it  seems  as  though  it  needed  but  little  knowledge  of  flowers 
to  recognize  that  yellow,  probably,  occurs  more  frequently  among 
them  than  any  other  color,  and  also  at  the  representation  of  this 
same  nature  as 

— Spending  scarlet  like  a  woman — 

when  in  reality  she  is  so  chary  of  this  splendid  hue  ;  still  we  can- 
not but  appreciate  that  this  poet  was  in  close  and  peculiar  sym- 
pathy with  flowers,  and  was  wont  to  paint  them  with  more  than 
customary  fidelity. 

We  look  for  the  spring  beauty  in  April  and  May,  and  often 
find  it  in  the  same  moist  places — on  a  brook's  edge  or  skirting 
the  wet  woods — as  the  yellow  adder's  tongue.  It  is  sometimes 
mistaken  for  an  anemone,  but  its  rose-veined  corolla  and  linear 
leaves  easily  identify  it.  Parts  of  the  carriage-drive  in  the  Cen- 
tral Park  are  bordered  with  great  patches  of  the  dainty  blossoms. 
One  is  always  glad  to  discover  these  children  of  the  country 
within  our  city  limits,  where  they  can  be  known  and  loved  by 
those  other  children  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  denied  the 
knowledge  of  them  in  their  usual  haunts.  If  the  day  chances  to 
be  cloudy  these  flowers  close  and  are  only  induced  to  open  again 
by  an  abundance  of  sunlight.  This  habit  of  closing  in  the  shade 
is  common  to  many  flowers,  and  should  be  remembered  by  those 
who  bring  home  their  treasures  from  the  woods  and  fields,  only 
to  discard  the  majority  as  hopelessly  wilted.  If  any  such  ex- 
hausted blossoms  are  placed  in  the  sunlight,  with  their  stems  in 
fresh  water,  they  will  probably  regain  their  vigor.  Should  this 
treatment  fail,  an  application  of  very  hot — almost  boiling — water 
should  be  tried.  This  heroic  measure  often  meets  with  success. 

DUTCHMAN'S  BREECHES.    WHITE-HEARTS. 

Dicentra  Cucttllaria.     Fumitory  Family. 

Scape. — Slender.  Leaves. —  Thrice  -  compound.  Flowers. —  White  and 
yellow,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — Of  two  small,  scale-like  sepals. 
Corolla. — Closed  and  flattened  ;  of  four  somewhat  cohering  white  petals 
tipped  with  yellow  ;  the  two  outer — large,  with  spreading  tips  and  deep  spurs  ; 
the  two  inner — small,  with  spoon-shaped  tips  uniting  over  the  anthers  and 
stigma.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

There  is  something  singularly  fragile  and  spring-like  in  the 
appearance  of  this  plant  as  its  heart-shaped  blossoms  nod  from 

34 


PLATE  VI 


Tuberous  rootstocks. 


DUTCHMAN'S   BREECHES.— D.  Cucullaria. 
35 


WHITE 

the  rocky  ledges  where  they  thrive  best.  One  would  suppose 
that  the  firmly  closed  petals  guarded  against  any  intrusion  on 
the  part  of  insect-visitors  and  indicated  the  flower's  capacity 
for  self-fertilization ;  but  it  is  found  that  when  insects  are  ex- 
cluded by  means  of  gauze  no  seeds  are  set,  which  goes  to  prove 
that  the  pollen  from  another  flower  is  a  necessary  factor  in  the 
continuance  of  this  species.  The  generic  name,  Dicentra,  is 
from  the  Greek  and  signifies  two-spurred.  The  flower,  when 
seen,  explains  its  two  English  titles.  It  is  accessible  to  every 
New  Yorker,  for  in  early  April  it  whitens  many  of  the  shaded 
ledges  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Central  Park. 

SQUIRREL  CORN. 

Dicentra  Canadensis.     Fumitory  Family. 

The  squirrel  corn  closely  resembles  the  dutchman's  breeches. 
Its  greenish  or  pinkish  flowers  are  heart-shaped,  with  short, 
rounded  spurs.  They  have  the  fragrance  of  hyacinths,  and 
are  found  blossoming  in  early  spring  in  the  rich  woods  of  the 
North. 

FOAM-FLOWER.    FALSE  MITRE-WORT. 

Tiarella  cordifclia.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem. — Five  to  twelve  inches  high,  leafless,  or  rarely  with  one  or  two 
leaves.  Leaves. — From  the  rootstock  or  runners,  heart-shaped,  sharply 
lobed.  Flowers. — White,  in  a  full  raceme.  Calyx. — Bell-shaped,  five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals  on  claws.  Stamens. — Ten,  long  and  slen- 
der. Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

Over  the  hills  and  in  the  rocky  woods  of  April  and  May  the 
graceful  white  racemes  of  the  foam  flower  arrest  our  attention. 
This  is  a  near  relative  of  the  Mitella  or  true  mitre-wort.  Its 
generic  name  is  a  diminutive  from  the  Greek  for  turban,  and  is 
said  to  refer  to  the  shape  of  the  pistil. 

EARLY  SAXIFRAGE. 

Saxifraga  Virginiensis.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Scape. — Four  to  nine  inches  high.  Leaves. — Clustered  at  the  root,  some- 
what wedge-shaped,  narrowed  into  a  broad  leaf-stalk.  Flowers. — White, 
small,  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. 
— Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

In  April  we  notice  that  the  seams  in  the  rocky  cliffs  and  hill- 
sides begin  to  whiten  with  the  blossoms  of  the  early  saxifrage. 

36 


PLATE  VII 


Fruit. 


FOAM-FLOWER  —T.  cordifotia. 

37 


WHITE 

Steinbrech — stonebreak — the  Germans  appropriately  entitle  this 
little  plant,  which  bursts  into  bloom  from  the  minute  clefts  in  the 
rocks  and  which  has  been  supposed  to  cause  their  disintegration 
by  its  growth.  The  generic  and  common  names  are  from  saxum 
— a  rock,  zxi&frango — to  break. 

MITRE-WORT.    BISHOP'S  CAP. 

Mitella  diphylla.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high,  hairy,  bearing  two  opposite  leaves. 
Leaves. — Heart-shaped,  lobed  and  toothed,  those  of  the  stem  opposite  and 
nearly  sessile.  Flowers. — White,  small,  in  a  slender  raceme.  Calyx. — 
Short,  five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  slender  petals  which  are  deeply  incised. 
Stamens. — Ten,  short.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

The  mitre-wort  resembles  the  foam  flower  in  foliage,  but 
bears  its  delicate  crystal-like  flowers  in  a  more  slender  raceme. 
It  also  is  found  in  the  rich  woods,  blossoming  somewhat  later. 

INDIAN  POKE.   FALSE  HELLEBORE. 

Veratrum  viride.     Lily  Family. 

Root. — Poisonous,  coarse  and  fibrous.  Stem. — Stout,  two  to  seven  feet 
high,  very  leafy  to  the  top.  Leaves. — Broadly  oval,  pointed,  clasping. 
Flowers.  —  Dull  greenish,  inconspicuous,  clustered.  Perianth.  —  Of  six 
spreading  sepals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

When  we  go  to  the  swampy  woods  in  March  or  April  we 
notice  an  array  of  green,  solid-looking  spears  which  have  just  ap- 
peared above  the  ground.  If  we  handle  one  of  these  we  are  im- 
pressed with  its  firmness  and  rigidity.  When  the  increasing 
warmth  and  sunshine  have  tempted  the  veiny,  many-plaited 
leaves  of  the  false  hellebore  to  unfold  themselves  it  is  difficult  to 
realize  that  they  composed  that  sturdy  tool  which  so  effectively 
tunnelled  its  way  upward  to  the  earth's  surface.  The  tall  stems 
and  large  bright  leaves  of  this  plant  are  very  noticeable  in  the 
early  year,  forming  conspicuous  masses  of  foliage  while  the  trees 
and  shrubs  are  still  almost  leafless.  The  dingy  flowers  which 
appear  later  rarely  attract  attention. 

38 


WHITE 


CARRION-FLOWER.    CAT-BRIER. 

Sniilax  herbacea.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing,  three  to  fifteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ovate,  or  rounded 
heart-shaped,  or  abruptly  cut  off  at  base,  shining.  -Flowers.— Greenish  or 
yellowish,  small,  clustered,  unisexual.  Perianth. — Six-parted.  Stamens. — 
six.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  spreading  stigmas.  (Stamens  and  pistils  oc- 
curring on  different  plants. )  Fruit. — A  bluish-black  berry. 

One  whiff  of  the  foul  breath  of  the  carrion  flower  suffices  for 
its  identification.  Thoreau  likens  its  odor  to  that  of  "a  dead 
rat  in  the  wall."  It  seems  unfortunate  that  this  strikingly 
handsome  plant  which  clambers  so  ornamentally  over  the  luxuri- 
ant thickets  which  border  our  lanes  and  streams,  should  be  so 
handicapped  each  June.  Happily  with  the  disappearance  of  the 
blossoms,  it  takes  its  place  as  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  our 
climbers. 

The  common  green-brier,  S.  rotundifolia,  is  a  near  relation 
which  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  prickly  stem. 

The  dark  berries  and  deeply  tinted  leaves  of  this  genus  add 
greatly  to  the  glorious  autumnal  display  along  our  roadsides  and 
in  the  woods  and  meadows. 

LARGER  WHITE  TRILLIUM. 

Trillium  grandifloritm.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  from  a  tuber-like  rootstock.  Leaves. — Ovate,  three  in  a 
whorl,  a  short  distance  below  the  flower.  Flower. — Single,  terminal,  large, 
white,  turning  pink  or  marked  with  green.  Calyx.— Of  three  green,  spread- 
ing sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  long  pointed  petals.  Stamens. — Six. — Pts- 
///._One,  with  three  spreading  stigmas.  Fruit. — A  large  ovate,  somewhat 
angled,  red  berry. 

This  very  beautiful  and  decorative  flower  must  be  sought  far 
from  the  highway  in  the  cool  rich  woods  of  April  and  May. 
Mr.  Ellwanger  speaks  of  the  "  chaste  pure  triangles  of  the  white 
wood-lily,"  and  says  that  it  often  attains  a  height  of  nearly  two 
feet. 

T.  cernuum  has  no  English  title.  Its  smaller  white  or  pink- 
ish blossom  is  borne  on  a  stalk  which  is  so  much  curved  as  to 
sometimes  quite  conceal  the  flower  beneath  the  leaves.  It  may 
be  sought  in  the  moist  places  in  the  woods. 

39 


WHITE 

The  painted  trillium,  T.  erythrocarpum,  is  also  less  large  and 
showy  than  the  great  white  trillium,  but  it  is  quite  as  pleasing. 
Its  white  petals  are  painted  at  their  base  with  red  stripes.  This 
species  is  very  plentiful  in  the  Adirondack  and  Catskill  Moun- 
tains. 

GROUND-NUT.    DWARF  GINSENG. 

Aralia  trifolia.     Ginseng  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Leaves. — Three  in  a  whorl,  divided 
into  from  three  to  five  leaflets.  Flowers. — White,  in  an  umbel.  Fruit. — 
Yellowish,  berry-like.  Root. — A  globular  tuber. 

The  tiny  white  flowers  of  the  dwarf  ginseng  are  so  closely 
clustered  as  to  make  "  one  feathery  ball  of  bloom,"  to  quote  Mr. 
Hamilton  Gibson.  This  little  plant  resembles  its  larger  relative, 
the  true  ginseng.  It  blossoms  in  our  rich  open  woods  early  in 
spring,  and  hides  its  small  round  tuber  so  deep  in  the  earth  that 
it  requires  no  little  care  to  uproot  it  without  breaking  the  slender 
stem.  This  tuber  is  edible  and  pungent-tasting,  giving  the  plant 
its  name  of  ground-nut. 

GINSENG. 

Aralia  quinqtie folia.     Ginseng  Family. 

Root. — Large  and  spindle-shaped,  often  forked.  Stem. — About  one  foot 
high.  Leaves. — Three  in  a  whorl,  divided  into  leaflets.  Flowers. — Green- 
ish-white, in  a  simple  umbel.  Fruit. — Bright  red,  berry-like. 

This  plant  is  well  known  by  name,  but  is  yearly  becoming, 
more  scarce.  The  aromatic  root  is  so  greatly  valued  in  China  for 
its  supposed  power  of  combating  fatigue  and  old  age  that  it  can 
only  be  gathered  by  order  of  the  emperor.  The  forked  specimens 
are  believed  to  be  the  most  powerful,  and  their  fancied  likeness 
to  the  human  form  has  obtained  for  the  plant  the  Chinese  title 
of  Jin-chen  (from  which  ginseng  is  a  corruption),  and  the  Indian 
one  of  Garan-toguen,  both  of  which,  strangely  enough,  are  said 
to  signify,  like  a  man.  The  Canadian  Jesuits  first  began  to  ship 
the  roots  of  the  American  species  to  China,  where  they  sold  at 
about  five  dollars  a  pound.  At  present  they  are  said  to  com- 
mand about  one-fifth  of  that  price  in  the  home  market. 

40 


PLATE  VIII 


Fruit. 


PAINTED  TRILLIUM.— I',  erythrocarpum. 
41 


WHITE 


WILD  SARSAPARILLA. 

Aralia  nudicaulis.     Ginseng  Family. 

/ 

Stem. — Bearing  a  single  large,  long-stalked,  much-divided  leaf,  and  a 
shorter  naked  scape  which  bears  the  rounded  flower-clusters.  Flowers. — 
Greenish-white,  in  umbels.  Calyx. — With  short  or  obsolete  teeth.  Corolla. 
— Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Fruit. — Black  or  dark-purple,  berry- 
like. 

In  the  June  woods  the  much-divided  leaf  and  rounded 
flower-clusters  of  the  wild  sarsaparilla  are  frequently  noticed,  as 
well  as  the  dark  berries  of  the  later  year.  The  long  aromatic 
roots  of  this  plant  are  sold  as  a  substitute  for  the  genuine  sar- 
saparilla. The  rice-paper  plant  of  China  is  a  member  of  this 
genus. 

SPIKENARD. 

Aralia  racemosa.     Ginseng  Family. 

Root. — Large  and  aromatic.  Stem. — Often  tall  and  widely  branched, 
leafy.  Leaves. — Divided  into  many  leaflets.  Flowers.  Greenish-white,  in 
clusters  which  are  racemed.  Fruit. — Dark  purple,  berry-like. 


CANADA  VIOLET. 

Viola  Canadensis.     Violet  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy,  upright,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped, 
pointed,  toothed.  Flowers. — White,  veined  with  purple,  violet  beneath, 
otherwise  greatly  resembling  the  common  blue  violet. 

We  associate  the  violet  with  the  early  year,  but  I  have  found 
the  delicate  fragrant  flowers  of  this  species  blossoming  high  up 
on  the  Catskill  Mountains  late  into  September ;  and  have  known 
them  to  continue  to  appear  in  a  New  York  city-garden  into  No- 
vember. They  are  among  the  loveliest  of  the  family,  having  a 
certain  sprightly  self-assertion  which  is  peculiarly  charming, 
perhaps  because  so  unexpected. 

The  tiny  sweet  white  violet,  V.  blanda,  with  brown  or  pur- 
ple veins,  which  is  found  in  nearly  all  low,  wet,  woody  places  in 
spring,  is  perhaps  the  only  uniformly  fragrant  member  of  the 
family,  and  its  scent,  though  sweet,  is  faint  and  elusive. 

The  lance-leaved  violet,  V.  lanceolata,  is  another  white 

42 


PLATE    IX 


Flower.  Fruit. 

WILD   SARSAPARILLA.— A.  nudicaulis. 

43 


WHITE 

species  which  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  smooth  lance-shaped 
leaves,  quite  unlike  those  of  the  common  violet.  It  is  found  in 
damp  soil,  especially  eastward. 

SOLOMON'S  SEAL. 

Polygonatum  biflorum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,   curving,  one  to  three  feet  long.     Leaves. — Alternate, 
oval,  set  close  to  the  stem.     Flowers. — Greenish-white  or   straw-colored,      ^^  _^ 
bell-shaped,  nodding  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.     Perianth. — Six-lobed  at     \,      '  - 
the  summit.     Stamens. — Six.     Pistil. — One.     Fruit.     A  dark  blue  berry. 

The  graceful  leafy  stems  of  the  Solomon's  seal  are  among  the 
most  decorative  features  of  our  spring  woods.  The  small  blos- 
soms which  appear  in  May  grow  either  singly  or  in  clusters  on  a 
flower-stalk  which  is  so  fastened  into  the  axil  of  each  leaf  that 
they  droop  beneath,  forming  a  curve  of  singular  grace  which  is 
sustained  in  later  summer  by  the  dark  blue  berries. 

The  larger  species,  P.  siganteum,  grows  to  a  height  of  from 
two  to  seven  feet,  blossoming  in  the  meadows  and  along  the 
I  streams  in  June. 

The  common  name  was  suggested  by  the  rootstocks,  which 
|  are  marked  with  large  round  scars  left  by  the  death  and  separa- 

!tion  of  the  base  of  the  stout  stalks  of  the  previous  years.  These 
scars  somewhat  resemble  the  impression  of  a  seal  upon  wax. 

The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying 
J  many,  and  knee,  alluding  to  the  numerous  joints  of  the  rootstock. 


CHOKE-BERRY. 

Pyrus  arbiitifolia.     Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  from  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  somewhat 
lance-shaped,  finely  toothed,  downy  beneath.  Flowers. — White  or  reddish, 
small,  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. 
— Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  to  five  styles.  Fruit. — Small,  pear- 
shaped  or  globular,  berry-like,  dark  red  or  blackish. 

This  low  shrub  is  common  in  swamps  and  moist  thickets  all 
along  the  Atlantic  coast,  as  well  as  farther  inland.  Its  flowers 
appear  in  May  or  June ;  its  fruit  in  late  summer  or  autumn. 

44 


PLATE  X 


Rootstock. 

SOLOMON'S  SEAL— P.  biflorum. 
45 


WHITE 

CREEPING  SNOWBERRY. 

Chiogenes  serpyllifolia.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  trailing  and  creeping.  Leaves.  —  Evergreen,  small, 
ovate,  pointed.  Flowers. — Small,  white,  solitary  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx. — Four-parted,  with  four  large  bracelets  beneath.  Corolla. 
— Deeply  four-parted.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  pure 
white  berry. 

This  pretty  little  creeper  is  found  blossoming  in  May  in  the 
peat-bogs  and  mossy  woods  of  the  North.  It  is  only  conspicu- 
ous when  hung  with  its  snow-white  berries  in  late  summer.  It 
has  the  aromatic  flavor  of  the  wintergreen. 


BEARBERRY. 

Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi.      Heath  Family. 

A  trailing  shrub.  Leaves. — Thick  and  evergreen,  smooth,  somewhat 
wedge-shaped.  Flowers. — Whitish,  clustered.  Calyx. — Small.  Corolla. 
—  Urn-shaped,  five-toothed.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. —  One.  Fruit. — 
Red,  berry-like. 

This  plant  blossoms  in  May,  and  is  found  on  rocky  hillsides. 
Its  name  refers  to  the  relish  with  which  bears  are  supposed  to 
devour  its  fruit. 

FALSE  SOLOMON'S  SEAL. 

Smilacina  racemosa.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Usually  curving,  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Oblong,  veiny. 
Flowers. — Greenish-white,  small,  in  a  terminal  raceme. — Perianth. — Six- 
parted.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  pale  red  berry  speckled 
with  purple. 

A  singular  lack  of  imagination  is  betrayed  in  the  common 
name  of  this  plant.  Despite  a  general  resemblance  to  the  true 
Solomon's  seal,  and  the  close  proximity  in  which  the  two  are 
constantly  found,  S.  racemosa,  has  enough  originality  to  deserve 
an  individual  title.  The  position  of  the  much  smaller  flowers  is 
markedly  different.  Instead  of  drooping  beneath  the  stem  they 
terminate  it,  having  frequently  a  pleasant  fragrance,  while  the 
berries  of  late  summer  are  pale  red,  flecked  with  purple.  It  puz- 
zles one  to  understand  why  these  two  plants  should  so  constantly 
be  found  growing  side  by  side — so  close  at  times  that  they  al- 
most appear  to  spring  from  one  point.  The  generic  name  is 


PLATE   XI 


Single  flower. 


FALSE   SOLOMON'S   SEAL.— S.  racemosa. 
47 


WHITE 

from  smilax,  on  account  of  a  supposed  resemblance  between  the 
leaves  of  this  plant  and  those  which  belong  to  that  genus. 

MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM.    DOCKMACKIE.    ARROW-WOOD. 

Viburnum  acerifolium.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Somewhat  three -lobed,  re- 
sembling those  of  the  maple,  downy  underneath.  Flowers. — White,  small, 
in  flat-topped  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Spreading,  five- 
lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil.—  One.  Fruit. — Berry-like,  crimson,  turn- 
ing purple. 

Perhaps  our  flowering  shrubs  contribute  even  more  to  the 
beauty  of  the  early-summer  woods  and  fields  than  the  smaller 
plants.  Along  many  of  the  lanes  which  intersect  the  woodlands 
the  viburnums  are  conspicuous  in  June.  When  the  blossoms 
of  the  dockmackie  have  passed  away  we  need  not  be  surprised 
if  we  are  informed  that  this  shrub  is  a  young  maple.  There  is 
certainly  a  resemblance  between  its  leaves  and  those  of  the  maple, 
as  the  specific  name  indicates.  To  be  sure,  the  first  red,  then 
purple  berries,  can  scarcely  be  accounted  for,  but  such  a  trifling 
incongruity  would  fail  to  daunt  the  would-be  wiseacre  of  field 
and  forest.  With  Napoleonic  audacity  he  will  give  you  the  name 
of  almost  any  shrub  or  flower  about  which  you  may  inquire. 
Seizing  upon  some  feature  he  has  observed  in  another  plant,  he 
will  immediately  christen  the  one  in  question  with  the  same  title — 
somewhat  modified,  perhaps — and  in  all  probability  his  authority 
will  remain  unquestioned.  There  is  a  marvellous  amount  of  in- 
accuracy afloat  in  regard  to  the  names  of  even  the  commonest 
plants,  owing  to  this  wide-spread  habit  of  guessing  at  the  truth 
and  stating  a  conjecture  as  a  fact. 

HOBBLE-BUSH.    AMERICAN  WAYFARING-TREE. 

Viburnum  lantanoides.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Leaves. — Rounded,  pointed,  closely  toothed,  heart-shaped  at  the  base, 
the  veins  beneath  as  well  as  the  stalks  and  small  branches  being  covered 
with  a  rusty  scurf.  Fruit. — Coral-red,  berry-like. 

The  marginal  flowers  of  the  flat-topped  clusters  of  the  hob- 
ble-bush, like  those  of  the  hydrangea,  are  much  larger  than  the 

48 


WHITE 


inner  ones,  and  are  without  either  stamens  or  pistils ;  their  only 
part  in  the  economy  of  the  shrub  being  to  form  an  attractive 
setting  for  the  cluster,  and  thus  to  allure  the  insect- visitors  that 
are  usually  so  necessary  to  the  future  well-being  of  the  species. 
The  shrub  is  a  common  one  in  our  northern  woods  and  moun- 
tains. Its  straggling  growth,  and  its  reclining  branches,  which 
often  take  root  in  the  ground,  have  suggested  the  popular 
names  of  hobble-bush,  and  wayfaring-tree. 


ROUND-LEAVED  DOGWOOD. 

Cornus  circinata.     Dogwood  Family. 

A  shrub  six  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rounded,  abruptly  pointed. 
Flowers. — Small,  white,  in  flat,  spreading  clusters.  Calyx. — Minutely  four- 
toothed.  Corolla. — Of  four  white,  oblong,  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — 
Four.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Light  blue,  berry-like. 

The  different  members  of  the  Dogwood  family  are  important 
factors  in  the  lovely  pageant  which  delights  our  eyes  along  the 
country  lanes  every  spring.  Oddly  enough,  only  the  smallest 
and  largest  representative  of  the  tribe  (the  little  bunch-berry, 
and  the  flowering-dogwood,  which  is  sometimes  a  tree  of  goodly 
dimensions),  have  in  common  the  showy  involucre  which  is 
usually  taken  for  the  blossom  itself;  but  which  instead  only  sur- 
rounds the  close  cluster  of  inconspicuous  greenish  flowers. 

The  other  members  of  the  genus  are  all  comprised  in  the 
shrubby  dogwoods ;  many  of  these  are  very  similar  in  ap- 
pearance, bearing  their  white  flowers  in  flat,  spreading  clusters, 
and  differing  chiefly  in  their  leaves  and  fruit. 

The  branches  of  the  round-leaved  dogwood  are  greenish 
and  warty-dotted.  Its  fruit  is  light  blue,  and  berry-like. 

The  panicled  dogwood,  C.  paniculata,  may  be  distinguished 
by  its  white  fruit  and  smooth,  gray  branches. 

The  red-osier  dogwood,  C.  stolonifera,  is  common  in  wet 
places.  Its  young  shoots  and  branches  are  a  bright  purplish- 
red.  Its  flower-clusters  are  small  ;  its  fruit,  white  or  lead-color. 

The  bark  of  this  genus  has  been  considered  a  powerful  tonic, 
and  an  extract  entitled  "  cornine,"  is  said  to  possess  the  prop- 
erties of  quinine  less  strongly  marked.  The  Chinese  peel  its 

49 


WHITE 

twigs,  and  use  them  for  whitening  their  teeth.  It  is  said  that 
the  Creoles  also  owe  the  dazzling  beauty  of  their  teeth  to  this 
same  practice. 

BELLWORT. 

Oakesia  sessilifolia.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Acutely  angled,  rather  low.  Leaves. — Set  close  to  or  clasping 
the  stem,  pale,  lance-oblong.  Flower. — Yellowish-white  or  straw-color. 
Perianth. — Narrowly  bell-shaped,  divided  into  six  distinct  sepals.  Stamens. 
— Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  deeply  three-cleft  style. 

In  spring  this  little  plant  is  very  abundant  in  the  woods.  It 
bears  one  or  two  small  lily-like  blossoms  which  droop  modestly 
beneath  the  curving  stems. 

With  the  same  common  name  and  near  of  kin  is  Uimlaria 
perfoliata,  with  leaves  which  seem  pierced  by  the  stem,  but 
otherwise  of  a  strikingly  similar  aspect. 

HAWTHORN.     WHITE-THORN. 

Cratagus  coccinea.     Rose  Family. 

A  shrub  or  small  tree,  with  spreading  branches,  and  stout  thorns  or 
spines.  Leaves. — On  slender  leaf -stalks,  thin,  rounded,  toothed,  sometimes 
lobed.  Flowers. — White  or  sometimes  reddish,  rather  large,  clustered,  with 
a  somewhat  disagreeable  odor.  Calyx. — Urn-shaped,  five-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  broad,  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Five  to  ten,  or  many.  Pistil. — 
One,  with  one  to  five  styles.  Fruit. — Coral-red,  berry-like. 

The  flowers  of  the  white-thorn  appear  in  spring,  at  the  same 
time  with  those  of  the  dogwoods.  Its  scarlet  fruit  gleams  from 
the  thicket  in  September. 

WHITE  BANEBERRY. 

Actcea  alba.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — About  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound,  leaf- 
lets incised  and  sharply  toothed.  Flowers. — Small,  white,  in  a  thick,  ob- 
long, terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Of  four  to  five  tiny  sepals  which  fall  as  the 
flower  expands.  Corolla. — Of  four  to  ten  small  flat  petals  with  slender 
claws.  Stamens. — Numerous,  with  slender  white  filaments.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  depressed,  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — An  oval  white  berry,  with  a 
dark  spot,  on  a  thick  red  stalk, 

The  feathery  clusters  of  the  white  baneberry  may  be  gathered 
when  we  go  to  the  woods  for  the  columbine,  the  wild  ginger, 


r 
L 


PLATE  XII 


Fruit. 


Fruit. 


Oakesia  sessilifolia. 

BELLWORT. 
51 


U.  perfoliata. 


WHITE 

the  Jack-in-the-pulpit,  and  Solomon's  seal.  These  flowers  are 
very  nearly  contemporaneous  and  seek  the  same  cool  shaded 
nooks,  all  often  being  found  within  a  few  feet  of  one  another. 

The  red  baneberry,  A.  rtibra,  is  a  somewhat  more  Northern 
plant  and  usually  blossoms  a  week  or  two  earlier.  Its  cherry-red 
(occasionally  whits)  berries  on  their  slender  stalks  are  easily  dis- 
tinguished from  the  white  ones  of  A.  alba,  which  look  strikingly 
like  the  china  eyes  that  small  children  occasionally  manage  to 
gouge  from  their  dolls'  heads. 

MOUNTAIN  HOLLY. 

Nemopanthes  fdscicularis.     Holly  Family. 

A  much-branched  shrub,  with  ash-gray  bark.  Leaves. — Alternate,  ob- 
long, smooth,  on  slender  leaf-stalks.  Flowers. — White,  some  perfect, 
others  unisexual  ;  solitary  or  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  on  long, 
slender  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Minute  or  obsolete.  Corolla. — Of  four  or 
five  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — Four  or  five.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — 
Coral-red,  berry-like. 

The  flowers  of  this  shrub  appear  in  the  damp  woods  of  May. 
Its  light  red  berries  on  their  slender  stalks  are  noticed  in  late 
summer  when  its  near  relation,  the  black  alder  or  winterberry 
is  also  conspicuous.  Its  generic  name  signifies  flower  with  a 
thread-like  stalk. 


WINTERBERRY.    BLACK  ALDER. 

Ilex  verticillata.     Holly  Family. 

A  shrub,  common  in  low  grounds.  Leaves. — Oval  or  lance-shaped, 
pointed  at  apex  and  base,  toothed.  Flowers. — White  ;  some  perfect, 
others  unisexual  ;  clustered  on  very  short  flower-stalks  in  the  axils  of  the 
leaves  ;  appearing  in  May  or  June.  Calyx. — Minute.  Corolla. — Of  four 
to  six  petals.  Stamens. — Four  to  six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Coral-red, 
berry-like. 

The  year  may  draw  nearly  to  its  close  without  our  attention 
being  arrested  by  this  shrub.  But  in  September  it  is  well  nigh 
impossible  to  stroll  through  the  country  lanes  without  pausing 
to  admire  the  bright  red  berries  clustered  so  thickly  among  the 
leaves  of  the  black  alder.  The  American  holly,  /.  opaca,  is 

52 


PLATE  XIII 


Fruit. 


WHITE   BANEBERRY.-4.  alba. 
S3 


WHITE 


closely  related  to  this  shrub,  whose  generic  name  is  the  ancient 
Latin  title  for  the  holly-oak. 


RED-BERRIED  ELDER. 

Sambucus  racemosa.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stems, — Woody,  two  to  twelve  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — White,  resembling  those  of  the  Common  Elder  (p.  78),  but 
borne  in  pyramidal  instead  of  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Fruit. — Bright  red, 
berry-like. 

The  white  clusters  of  the  red-berried  elder  are  found  in  the 
rocky  woods  of  May  ;  its  scarlet  fruit,  like  that  of  the  shad- 
bush,  appearing  in  June. 


BUNCH-BERRY.    DWARF  CORNEL. 

Cormts  Canadensis.     Dogwood  Family. 

Stem. — Five  to  seven  inches  high. — Leaves. — Ovate,  pointed,  the  upper 
crowded  into  an  apparent  whorl  of  four  to  six.  Flowers. — Greenish,  small, 
in  a  cluster  which  is  surrounded  by  a  large  and  showy  four-leaved,  petal -like, 
white  or  pinkish  involucre.  Calyx. — Minutely  four-toothed.  Corolla. — Of 
four  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — Bright 
red,  berry-like. 

When  one's  eye  first  falls  upon  the  pretty  flowers  of  the 
bunch-berry  in  the  June  woods,  the  impression  is  received  that 
each  low  stem  bears  upon  its  summit  a  single  large  white  blossom. 
A  more  searching  look  discovers  that  what  appeared  like  rounded 
petals  are  really  the  showy  white  leaves  of  the  involucre  which 
surround  the  small,  closely  clustered,  greenish  flowers. 

The  bright  red  berries  which  appear  in  late  summer  make 
brilliant  patches  in  the  woods  and  swamps.  Both  in  flower  and 
fruit  this  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  our  smaller  plants.  It  is 
closely  allied  to  the  well-known  flowering-dogwood,  which  is  so 
ornamental  a  tree  in  early  spring. 

In  the  Scotch  Highlands  it  is  called  the  "  plant  of  glut- 
tony," on  account  of  its  supposed  power  of  increasing  the  appe- 
tite. It  is  said  to  form  part  of  the  winter  food  of  the  Esqui- 
maux. 

54 


PLATE  XIV 


Fruit 

BUNCH-BERRY.— C.  Canadensis. 
55 


WHITE 


SWEET  BAY.    LAUREL  MAGNOLIA. 

Magnolia  glatica.     Magnolia  Family. 

A  shrub  from  four  to  twenty  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Oval  to  broadly  lance- 
shaped,  from  three  to  six  inches  long.  Flowers. — White,  two  inches 
long,  growing  singly  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Of  three  sepals. 
Corolla. — Globular,  with  from  six  to  nine  broad  petals.  Stamens. — Numer- 
ous, with  short  filaments  and  long  anthers.  Pistils. — Many,  packed  so  as 
to  make  a  sort  of  cone  in  fruit  Fruit. — Cone-like,  red,  fleshy  when  ripe  ; 
the  pistils  opening  at  maturity  and  releasing  the  scarlet  seeds  which  hang  by 
delicate  threads. 

The  beautiful  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  sweet  bay  may  be 
found  from  June  till  August,  in  swamps  along  the  coast  from 
Cape  Ann  southward. 

LIZARD'S  TAIL. 

Saururus  cernuus.     Pepper  Family. 

Stem. — Jointed,  often  tall.  Leaves. — Alternate,  heart-shaped.  Flow- 
ers. — White,  without  calyx  or  corolla,  crowded  into  a  slender,  wand-like 
terminal  spike  which  nods  at  the  end.  Stamens. — Usually  six  or  seven. 
Pistils. — Three  or  four,  united  at  their  base. 

The  nodding,  fragrant  spikes  of  the  lizard's  tail  abound  in 
certain  swamps  from  June  till  August.  While  the  plant  is  not 
a  common  one,  it  is  occasionally  found  in  great  profusion,  and  is 
sure  to  arrest  attention  by  its  odd  appearance. 


MOONSEED. 
Menispermum  Canadense.     Moonseed  Family. 

Stem. — Woody,  climbing.  Leaves. — Three  to  seven-angled  or  lobed, 
their  stalks  fastened  near  the  edge  of  the  lower  surface.  Flowers. — White 
or  yellowish,  in  small  loose  clusters,  unisexual.  Calyx. — Of  four  to  eight 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  six  to  eight  short  petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Oc- 
curring on  different  plants.  Fruit. — Berry-like,  black,  with  a  bloom. 

Clambering  over  the  thickets  which  line  the  streams,  we  no- 
tice in  September  the  lobed  or  angled  leaves  and  black  berries  of 
the  moonseed,  the  small  white  or  yellowish  flowers  of  which  were, 
perhaps,  overlooked  in  June. 


WHITE 


MOUNTAIN  LAUREL.    SPOONWOOD.    CALICO-BUSH. 

Kalmia  latifolia.     Heath  Family. 

An  evergreen  shrub.  Leaves. — Oblong,  pointed,  shining,  of  a  leathery 
texture.  Flowers. — White  or  pink,  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx. — Five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Marked  with  red,  wheel-shaped,  five-lobed,  with  ten  de- 
pressions. Stamens. — Ten,  each  anther  lodged  in  one  of  the  depressions  of 
the  corolla.  Pistil. — One. 

The  shining  green  leaves  which  surround  the  white  or  rose- 
colored  flowers  of  the  mountain  laurel  are  familiar  to  all  who  have 
skirted  the  west  shore  of  the  Hudson  River,  wandered  across 
the  hills  that  lie  in  its  vicinity,  or  clambered  across  the  moun- 
tains of  Pennsylvania,  where  the  shrub  sometimes  grows  to  a 
height  of  thirty  feet.  Not  that  these  localities  limit  its  range  : 
for  it  abounds  more  or  less  from  Canada  to  Florida,  and  far  in- 
land, especially  along  the  mountains,  whose  sides  are  often 
clothed  with  an  apparent  mantle  of  pink  snow  during  the  month 
of  June,  and  whose  waste  places  are,  in  very  truth,  made  to  blos- 
som like  the  rose  at  this  season. 

The  shrub  is  highly  prized  and  carefully  cultivated  in  Eng- 
land. Barewood  Gardens,  the  beautiful  home  of  the  editor  of 
the  London  Times,  is  celebrated  for  its  fine  specimens  of  moun- 
tain laurel  and  American  rhododendron.  The  English  papers 
advertise  the  approach  of  the  flowering  season,  the  estate  is 
thrown  open  to  the  public,  and  the  people  for  miles  around  flock 
to  see  the  radiant  strangers  from  across  the  water.  The  shrub  is 
not  known  there  as  the  laurel,  but  by  its  generic  title,  Kalmia. ' 
The  head  gardener  of  the  place  received  with  some  incredulity  . 
my  statement  that  in  parts  of  America  the  waste  hill-sides  were 
brilliant  with  its  beauty  every  June. 

The  ingenious  contrivance  of  these  flowers  to  secure  cross- 
fertilization  is  most  interesting.  The  long  filaments  of  the  sta- 
mens are  arched  by  each  anther  being  caught  in  a  little  pouch  of 
the  corolla ;  the  disturbance  caused  by  the  sudden  alighting  of 
an  insect  on  the  blossom,  or  the  quick  brush  of  a  bee's  wing, 
dislodges  the  anthers  from  their  niches,  and  the  stamens  spring 
upward  with  such  violence  that  the  pollen  is  jerked  from  its  hid- 
ing-place in  the  pore  of  the  anther-cell  on  to  the  body  of  the  insect- 

57 


WHITE 

visitor,  who  straightway  carries  it  off  to  another  flower  upon  whose 
protruding  stigma  it  is  sure  to  be  inadvertently  deposited.  In 
order  to  see  the  working  of  this  for  one's  self,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  pick  a  fresh  blossom  and  either  brush  the  corolla  quickly  with 
one's  ringer,  or  touch  the  stamens  suddenly  with  a  pin,  when 
the  anthers  will  be  dislodged  and  the  pollen  will  be  seen  to  fly. 

This  is  not  the  laurel  of  the  ancients — the  symbol  of  victory 
and  fame — notwithstanding  some  resemblance  in  the  form  of  the 
leaves.  The  classic  shrub  is  supposed  to  be  identical  with  the 
Laurus  nobilis  which  was  carried  to  our  country  by  the  early 
colonists,  but  which  did  not  thrive  in  its  new  environment. 

The  leaves  of  our  species  are  supposed  to  possess  poisonous 
qualities,  and  are  said  to  have  been  used  by  the  Indians  for  sui- 
cidal purposes.  There  is  also  a  popular  belief  that  the  flesh  of  a 
partridge  which  has  fed  upon  its  fruit  becomes  poisonous.  The 
clammy  exudation  about  the  flower-stalks  and  blossoms  may 
serve  the  purpose  of  excluding  from  the  flower  such  small  insects 
as  would  otherwise  crawl  up  to  it,  dislodge  the  stamens,  scatter 
the  pollen,  and  yet  be  unable  to  carry  it  to  its  proper  destina- 
tion on  the  pistil  of  another  flower. 

The  Kalmia  was  named  by  Linnaeus  after  Peter  Kalm,  one  of 
his  pupils  who  travelled  in  this  country,  who  was,  perhaps,  the 
first  to  make  known  the  shrub  to  his  great  master. 

The  popular  name  spoonwood  grew  from  its  use  by  the  Indi- 
ans for  making  eating-utensils.  The  wood  is  of  fine  grain  and 
takes  a  good  polish. 

The  title  calico-bush  probably  arose  from  the  marking  of  the 
corolla,  which,  to  an  imaginative  mind,  might  suggest  the  cheap 
cotton-prints  sold  in  the  shops. 

WHITE  SWAMP  HONEYSUCKLE.    CLAMMY  AZALEA. 

Rhododendron  viscostun.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Oblong.  Flowers. — 
White,  clustered,  appearing  after  the  leaves.  Calyx-lobes. — Minute.  Co- 
rolla.— White,  five-lobed,  the  clammy  tube  much  longer  than  the  lobes. 
Stamens. — Usually  five,  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  protruding. 

The  fragrant  white  flowers  of  this  beautiful  shrub  appear  in 
early  summer  along  the  swamps  which  skirt  the  coast,  and  occa- 

58 


PLATE  XV 


MOUNTAIN    LAUREL— K.  latifolia. 
59 


WHITE 


sionally  farther  inland.  The  close  family  resemblance  to  the  pink 
azalea  (PI.  LXV)  will  be  at  once  detected.  On  the  branches 
of  both  species  will  be  found  those  abnormal,  fleshy  growths, 
called  variously  " swamp  apples"  and  "May  apples,"  which 
are  so  relished  by  the  children.  Formerly  these  growths  were 
attributed  to  the  sting  of  an  insect,  as  in  the  "oak  apple;  " 
now  they  are  generally  believed  to  be  modified  buds. 

AMERICAN  RHODODENDRON.    GREAT  LAUREL. 

Rhododendron  maximum.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  six  to  thirty-five  feet  high.  Leaves.—  Thick  and  leathery, 
oblong,  entire.  Flowers. — White  or  pink,  clustered.  Calyx. — Minute, 
five-toothed.  Corolla. — Somewhat  bell-shaped,  five-parted,  greenish  in  the 
throat,  with  red,  yellow,  or  green  spots.  Stamens. — Usually  ten.  Pistil. — 
One. 

This  beautiful  native  shrub  is  one  of  the  glories  of  our  coun- 
try when  in  the  perfection  of  its  loveliness.  The  woods  which 
nearly  cover  many  of  the  mountains  of  our  Eastern  States  hide 
from  all  but  the  bold  explorer  a  radiant  display  during  the  early 
part  of  July.  Then  the  lovely  waxy  flower -clusters  of  the  Ameri- 
can rhododendron  are  in  their  fulness  of  beauty.  As  in  the 
laurel,  the  clammy  flower-stalks  seem  fitted  to  protect  the  blos- 
som from  the  depredations  of  small  and  useless  insects,  while  the 
markings  on  the  corolla  attract  the  attention  of  the  desirable  bee. 

In  those  parts  of  the  country  where  it  flourishes  most  luxuri- 
antly, veritable  rhododendron  jungles  termed  ' f  hells ' '  by  the 
mountaineers  are  formed.  The  branches  reach  out  and  interlace 
in  such  a  fashion  as  to  be  almost  impassable. 

The  nectar  secreted  by  the  blossoms  is  popularly  supposed  to 
be  poisonous.  We  read  in  Xenophon  that  during  the  retreat 
of  the  Ten  Thousand,  the  soldiers  found  a  quantity  of  honey  of 
which  they  freely  partook,  with  results  that  proved  almost  fatal. 
This  honey  is  said  to  have  been  made  from  a  rhododendron 
which  is  still  common  in  Asia  Minor  and  which  is  believed  to 
possess  intoxicating  and  poisonous  properties. 

Comparatively  little  attention  had  been  paid  to  this  superb 
flower  until  the  Centennial  Celebration  at  Philadelphia,  when 

60 


PLATE  XVI 


AMERICAN    RHODODENDRON.-/*,  maximum. 
6l 


WHITE 

some  fine  exhibits  attracted  the  admiration  of  thousands.  The 
shrub  has  been  carefully  cultivated  in  England,  having  been 
brought  to  great  perfection  on  some  of  the  English  estates.  It  is 
yearly  winning  more  notice  in  this  country. 

The  generic  name  is  from  the  Greek  for  rose-tree. 

WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  Acetosella.     Geranium  Family. 

Scape. — One-flowered,  two  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
three  clover  -  like  leaflets.  Flower. — White  veined  with  red,  solitary. 
Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. 
— One  with  five  styles. 

Surely  nowhere  can  be  found  a  daintier  carpeting  than  that 
made  by  the  clover-like  foliage  of  the  wood  sorrel  when  studded 
with  its  rose-veined  blossoms  in  the  northern  woods  of  June. 
At  the  very  name  comes  a  vision  of  mossy  nooks  where  the  sun- 
light only  comes  on  sufferance,  piercing  its  difficult  path  through 
the  tent-like  foliage  of  the  forest,  resting  only  long  enough  to  be- 
come a  golden  memory. 

The  early  Italian  painters  availed  themselves  of  its  chaste 
beauty.  Mr.  Ruskin  says:  "  Fra  Angelico's  use  of  the  Oxalis 
Acetosella  is  as  faithful  in  representation  as  touching  in  feeling. 
The  triple  leaf  of  the  plant  and  white  flower  stained  purple 
probably  gave  it  strange  typical  interest  among  the  Christian 
painters." 

Throughout  Europe  it  bears  the  odd  name  of  ' '  Hallelujah  ' ' 
on  account  of  its  flowering  between  Easter  and  Whitsuntide,  the 
season  when  the  Psalms  sung  in  the  churches  resound  with  that 
word.  There  has  been  an  unfounded  theory  that  this  title  sprang 
from  St.  Patrick's  endeavor  to  prove  to  his  rude  audience  the 
possibility  of  a  Trinity  in  Unity  from  the  three-divided  leaves. 
By  many  this  ternate  leaf  has  been  considered  the  shamrock  of 
the  ancient  Irish. 

The  English  title,  "  cuckoo- bread,"  refers  to  the  appearance 
of  the  blossoms  at  the  season  when  the  cry  of  the  cuckoo  is  first 
heard. 

Our  name  sorrel  is  from  the  Greek  for  sour  and  has  reference 

62 


PLATE  XVII 


WOOD   SORREL— O.  Acetosclla. 


WHITE 


to  the  acrid  juice  of  the  plant.     The  delicate  leaflets  "sleep  "  at 
night ;  that  is,  they  droop  and  close  one  against  another. 


POISON  SUMACH. 

Rkus  venenata.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  from  six  to  eighteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  seven 
to  thirteen  oblong  entire  leaflets,  flowers. — Greenish  or  yellowish-white, 
in  loose  axillary  clusters  ;  some  perfect,  others  unisexual.  Fruit. — Whitish 
or  dun-colored,  small,  globular. 

The  poison  sumach  infests  swampy  places  and  flowers  in 
June.  In  early  summer  it  can  be  distinguished  from  the  harm- 
less members  of  the  family  by  the  slender  flower-clusters  which 
grow  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  those  of  the  innocent  sumachs 
being  borne  in  pyramidal,  terminal  clusters.  In  the  later  year  the 
fruits  of  the  respective  shrubs  are,  of  course,  similarly  situated, 
but,  to  accentuate  the  distinction,  they  differ  in  color ;  that  of 
the  poison  sumach  being  whitish  or  dun-colored,  while  that  of 
the  other  is  crimson. 


STAGHORN  SUMACH. 

Rhus  typhina.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  or  tree  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
eleven  to  thirty-one  somewhat  lance-shaped,  toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — 
Greenish  or  yellowish-white,  in  upright  terminal  clusters,  some  perfect,  others 
unisexual,  appearing  in  June.  Fruit.— Crimson,  small,  globular,  hairy. 

This  is  the  common  sumach  which  illuminates  our  hill-sides 
every  autumn  with  masses  of  flame-like  color.  Many  of  us  would 
like  to  decorate  our  homes  with  its  brilliant  sprays,  but  are  de- 
terred from  handling  them  by  the  fear  of  being  poisoned,  not 
knowing  that  one  glance  at  the  crimson  fruit-plumes  should  re- 
assure us,  as  the  poisonous  sumachs  are  white-fruited.  These 
tossing  pyramidal  fruit-clusters  at  first  appear  to  explain  the 
common  title  of  staghorn  sumach.  It  is  not  till  the  foliage  has 
disappeared,  and  the  forked  branches  are  displayed  in  all  their 
nakedness,  that  we  feel  that  these  must  be  the  feature  in  which 
the  common  name  originated. 

64 


WHITE 


POISON  IVY. 

Rhus  Toxicodendron.     Cashew  Family. 

A  shrub  which  usually  climbs  by  means  of  rootlets  over  rocks,  walls,  and 
trees  ;  sometimes  low  and  erect.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  somewhat 
four-sided  pointed  leaflets.  Flowers, — Greenish  or  yellowish-white,  small, 
some  perfect,  others  unisexual  ;  in  loose  clusters  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  in 
June.  Fruit. — Small,  globular,  somewhat  berry-like,  dun-colored,  clustered. 

This  much- dreaded  plant  is  often  confused  with  the  beautiful 
Virginia  creeper,  occasionally  to  the  ruthless  destruction  of  the 
latter.  Generally  the  two  can  be  distinguished  by  the  three- 
divided  leaves  of  the  poison  ivy,  the  leaves  of  the  Virginia 
creeper  usually  being  five-divided.  In  the  late  year  the  whitish 
fruit  of  the  ivy  easily  identifies  it,  the  berries  of  the  creeper  being 
blackish.  The  poison  ivy  is  reputed  to  be  especially  harmful 
during  the  night,  or  at  any  time  in  early  summer  when  the  sun 
is  not  shining  upon  it. 


VIRGINIA  CREEPER.    AMERICAN  IVY. 

Ampelopsis  qiiinquefolia.     Vine  Family. 

A  woody  vine  climbing  by  means  of  disk-bearing  tendrils,  and  also  by 
rootlets.  Leaves. — Usually  divided  into  five  leaflets.  Florvers. — Greenish, 
small,  clustered,  appearing  in  July.  Fruit. — A  small,  blackish  berry  in  Oc- 
tober. 

Surely  in  autumn,  if  not  always,  this  is  the  most  beautiful  of 
our  native  climbers.  At  that  season  its  blood-like  sprays  are  out- 
lined against  the  dark  evergreens  about  which  they  delight  to 
twine,  showing  that  marvellous  discrimination  in  background 
which  so  constantly  excites  our  admiration  in  nature.  The  Vir- 
ginia creeper  is  extensively  cultivated  in  Europe.  Even  in 
Venice,  that  sea-city  where  one  so  little  anticipates  any  re- 
minders of  home  woods  and  meadows,  many  a  dim  canal  mir- 
rors in  October  some  crumbling  wall  or  graceful  trellis  aglow 
with  its  vivid  beauty. 


WHITE 


SHIN-LEAF. 

Pyrola  clliptica.     Heath  Family. 

Scape. — Upright,  scaly,  terminating  in  a  many-flowered  raceme.  Leaves. 
— From  the  root,  thin  and  dull,  somewhat  oval.  Flowers. — White,  nodding. 
Calyx. —  Five-parted.  Corolla. —  Of  five  rounded,  concave  petals.  Sta- 
mens.— Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  long  curved  style. 

In  the  distance  these  pretty  flowers  suggest  the  lilies-of- 
the- valley.  They  are  found  in  the  woods  of  June  and  July, 
often  in  close  company  with  the  pipsissewa.  The  ugly  common 
name  of  shin-leaf  arose  from  an  early  custom  of  applying  the 
leaves  of  this  genus  to  bruises  or  sores  ;  the  English  peasantry 
being  in  the  habit  of  calling  any  kind  of  plaster  a  "  shin-plaster  " 
without  regard  to  the  part  of  the  body  to  which  it  might  be 
applied.  The  old  herbalist,  Salmon,  says  that  the  name  Pyrola 
was  given  to  the  genus  by  the  Romans  on  account  of  the  fancied 
resemblance  of  its  leaves  and  flowers  to  those  of  a  pear-tree. 
The  English  also  call  the  plant  "  wintergreen,"  which  name  we 
usually  reserve  for  Gaultheria  procumbent. 

P.  rotundifolia  is  a  species  with  thick,  shining,  rounded  leaves. 


COMMON  BLACK  HUCKLEBERRY. 

Gaylussacia  resinosa.     Heath  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Stems. — Shrubby,  branching.  Leaves. —  Oval 
or  oblong,  sprinkled  more  or  less  with  waxy,  resinous  atoms.  Flowers. — 
White,  reddish,  or  purplish,  bell-shaped,  growing  in  short,  one-sided  clus- 
ters. Calyx. — With  five  short  teeth.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  with  a  five-cleft 
border.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One.  Frtiit. — A  black,  bloomless,  edi- 
ble berry. 

The  flowers  of  the  common  huckleberry  appear  in  May  or 
June  ;  the  berries  in  late  summer.  The  shrub  abounds  in  rocky 
woods  and  swamps. 

COMMON  BLUEBERRY. 

Vaccinium  corymbosun.     Heath  Family. 
Five  to  ten  feet  high. 

The  blueberry  has  a  bloom  which  is  lacking  in  the  huckle- 
berry. It  is  found  in  swamps  or  low  thickets  in  late  summer. 

66 


PLATE  XVIII 


SHIN-LEAF.-P.  elliptica. 


WHITE 

SQUAW  HUCKLEBERRY. 

Vaccinium  stamineum.      Heath  Family. 
Two  or  three  feet  high.     Stems. — Diffusely  branched. 
This  large  greenish  or  yellowish  berry  is  hardly  edible.     The 
flowers  appear  in  June,  and  are  easily  recognized  by  their  pro- 
truding stamens.     The  leaves  are  pale  green  above  and  whitish 
underneath. 

PIPSISSEWA.    PRINCE'S  PINE. 

Chimaphila  umbellata.      Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  ten  inches  high,  leafy.  Leaves. — Somewhat  whorled  or 
scattered,  evergreen,  lance-shaped,  with  sharply  toothed  edges.  Flowers. — 
White  or  purplish,  fragrant,  in  a  loose  terminal  cluster.  Calyx. — Five- 
lobed.  Corolla. — With  five  rounded,  widely  spreading  petals.  Stamens. — 
Ten,  with  violet  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  short  top-shaped  style  and 
disk-like  stigma. 

When  strolling  through  the  woods  in  summer  one  is  apt  to 
chance  upon  great  patches  of  these  deliciously  fragrant  and  pretty 
flowers.  The  little  plant,  with  its  shining  evergreen  foliage, 
flourishes  abundantly  among  decaying  leaves  in  sandy  soil,  and 
puts  forth  its  dainty  blossoms  late  in  June.  It  is  one  of  the  lat- 
est of  the  fragile  wood-flowers  which  are  so  charming  in  the  ear- 
lier year,  and  which  have  already  begun  to  surrender  in  favor  of 
their  hardier,  more  self-assertive  brethren  of  the  fields  and  road- 
sides. The  common  name,  pipsissewa,  is  evidently  of  Indian 
origin,  and  perhaps  refers  to  the  strengthening  properties  which 
the  red  men  ascribed  to  it. 

SPOTTED  PIPSISSEWA. 

Chimaphila  maculata.     Heath  Family. 

The  spotted  pipsissewa  blossoms  a  little  later  than  its  twin- 
sister.  Its  slightly  toothed  leaves  are  conspicuously  marked  with 
white. 

WHITE  DAISY.    WHITE-WEED.    OX-EYED  DAISY. 

Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 
The  common  white  daisy  stars  the  June  meadows  with  those 
gold-centred  blossoms  which  delight    the  eyes  of  the  beauty- 

68 


PLATE  XIX 


PIPSISSEWA.— C.  nmbellata. 
69 


WHITE 


lover  while  they  make  sore  the  heart  of  the  farmer,  for  the  "  white- 
weed,"  as  he  calls  it,  is  hurtful  to  pasture  land  and  difficult  to 
eradicate. 

The  true  daisy  is  the  Bellis  perennis  of  England, — the 

Wee,  modest  crimson-tippit  flower 

of  Burns.  This  was  first  called  "  day's  eye,"  because  it  closed  at 
night  and  opened  at  dawn, — 

That  well  by  reason  men  it  call  may, 
The  Daisie,  or  else  the  eye  of  the  day, 

sang  Chaucer  nearly  four  hundred  years  ago.  In  England  our 
flower  is  called  "ox-eye"  and  "moon  daisy;"  in  Scotland, 
"  dog-daisy." 

The  plant  is  not  native  to  this  country,  but  was  brought  from 
the  Old  World  by  the  early  colonists. 


DAISY  FLEABANE.    SWEET  SCABIOUS. 

Erigeron  annuus.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Stout,  from  three  to  five  feet  high,  branched,  hairy.  Leaves. — 
Coarsely  and  sharply  toothed,  the  lowest  ovate,  the  upper  narrower.  P  lower- 
heads. — Small,  clustered,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers,  the  former 
white,  purplish,  or  pinkish,  the  latter  yellow. 

During  the  summer  months  the  fields  and  waysides  are  whi- 
tened with  these  very  common  flowers  which  look  somewhat  like 
small  white  daisies  or  asters. 

Another  common  species  is  E.  strigosus,  a  smaller  plant,  with 
smaller  flower-heads  also,  but  with  the  white  ray-flowers  longer. 
The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  spring 
and  an  old  man,  in  allusion  to  the  hoariness  of  certain  species 
which  flower  in  the  spring.  The  fleabanes  were  so  named  from 
the  belief  that  when  burned  they  were  objectionable  to  insects. 
They  were  formerly  hung  in  country  cottages  for  the  purpose  of 
excluding  such  unpleasant  intruders. 


70 


WHITE 


MAYWEED.    CHAMOMILE. 

Anthemis  Cotula.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Finely  dissected.  Flower-heads. — Com- 
posed of, white  ray  and  yellow  disk- flowers,  resembling  the  common  white 
daisy. 

In  midsummer  the  pretty  daisy-like  blossoms  of  this  strong- 
scented  plant  are  massed  along  the  roadsides.  So  nearly  a 
counterpart  of  the  common  daisy  do  they  appear  that  they  are 
constantly  mistaken  for  that  flower.  The  smaller  heads,  with 
the  yellow  disk-flowers  crowded  upon  a  receptacle  which  is  much 
more  conical  than  that  of  the  daisy,  and  the  finely  dissected, 
feathery  leaves,  serve  to  identify  the  Mayweed.  The  country- 
folk brew  "  chamomile  tea"  from  these  leaves,  and  through 
their  agency  raise  painfully  effective  blisters  in  an  emergency. 


NEW  JERSEY  TEA.    RED-ROOT. 

Ceanothus  Americamis.     Buckthorn  Family. 

Root. — Dark  red.  Stem. — Shrubby,  one  to  three  feet  high.  Flowers. — • 
White,  small,  clustered.  Calyx. — White,  petal-like,  five-lobed,  incurved. 
Corolla. — With  five  long-clawed  hooded  petals.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. 
— One,  with  three  stigmas. 

This  shrubby  plant  is  very  common  in  dry  woods.  In 
July  its  white  feathery  flower-clusters  brighten  many  a  shady 
nook  in  an  otherwise  flowerless  neighborhood.  During  the 
Revolution  its  leaves  were  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea. 


BASTARD  TOADFLAX. 

Comandra  ^lmbellata.     Sandalwood  Family. 

Stem. — Eight  to  ten  inches  high,  branching,  leafy.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
oblong,  pale.  Flowers. — Greenish-white,  small,  clustered.  Calyx. — Bell 
or  urn-shaped.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One. 

The  bastard  toadflax  is  commonly  found  in  dry  ground, 
flowering  in  May  or  June.  Its  root  forms  parasitic  attachments 
to  the  roots  of  trees. 

71 


WHITE 

WlNTERGREEN.      CHECKERBERRY.      MOUNTAIN  TEA. 
Gaultheria  proc umbens.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  six  inches  high,  slender,  leafy  at  the  summit.     Leaves.     /"-' 
— Oval,    shining,    evergreen.     Flowers. — White,    growing  from  the  axils  of      f* 
the  leaves.      Calyx. — Five-lobed.     Corolla. — Urn-shaped,    with   five  small 
teeth.     Stamens. — Ten.     Pistil. — One.     Fruit. — A  globular  red  berry. 

He  who  seeks  the  cool  shade  of  the  evergreens  on  a  hot  July 
day  is  likely  to  discover  the  nodding  wax-like  flowers  of  this 
little  plant.  They  are  delicate  and  pretty,  with  a  background 
of  shining  leaves.  These  leaves  when  young  have  a  pleasant 
aromatic  flavor  similar  to  that  of  the  sweet  birch  ;  they  are 
sometimes  used  as  a  substitute  for  tea.  The  bright  red  berries 
are  also  edible  and  savory,  and  are  much  appreciated  by  the 
hungry  birds  and  deer  during  the  winter.  If  not  thus  consumed 
they  remain  upon  the  plant  until  the  following  spring  when  they 
either  drop  or  rot  upon  the  stem,  thus  allowing  the  seeds  to  es- 
cape. 

WHITE  SWEET  CLOVER.    WHITE  MELILOT. 

Melilotus  alba.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Two  to  four  feet  high.     Leaves. — Divided  into  three-toothed  leaf- 
lets.    Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  white,  growing  in  spike-like  racemes. 
•^> 

Like  its  yellow  sister,  M.  officinalis,  this  plant  is  found  blos- 
soming along  the  roadsides  throughout  the  summer.  The  flowers 
are  said  to  serve  as  flavoring  in  Gruyere  cheese,  snuff,  and  smok- 
ing-tobacco,  and  to  act  like  camphor  when  packed  with  furs  to 
preserve  them  from  moths,  besides  imparting  a  pleasant  fragrance. 

WATERLEAF. 

Hydrophyllum  Virginicum.     Waterleaf  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  five  to  seven  oblong,  pointed, 
toothed  divisions.  Flowers. — White  or  purplish,  in  one-sided  raceme-like 
clusters  which  are  usually  coiled  from  the  apex  when  young.  Calyx. — Five- 
parted.  Corolla.  —  Five-cleft,  bell-shaped.  Stamens.  —  Five,  protruding. 
Pistil.— One. 

This  plant  is  found  flowering  in  summer  in  the  rich  woods. 

72 


PLATE   XX 


Fruit. 

WINTERGREEN.— G.  procumbens. 
73 


INDIAN  PIPE.    CORPSE-PLANT. 

Monotropa  uniflora.     Heath  Family. 

A  low  fleshy  herb  from  three  to  eight  inches  high,  without  green  foliage,  of 
a  wax-like  appearance,  with  colorless  bracts  in  the  pla.ce  of  leaves,  flower. 
— White  or  pinkish,  single,  terminal,  nodding.  Calyx.  —  Of  two  to  four 
bract-like  scales.  Corolla. — Of  four  or  five  wedge-shaped  petals.  Stamens. 
— Eight  or  ten,  with  yellow  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  disk-like,  four  or 
five-rayed  stigma. 

The  effect  of  a  cluster  of  these  nodding,  wax-like  flowers  in 
the  deep  woods  of  summer  is  singularly  fairy-like.  They  spring 
from  a  ball  of  matted  rootlets,  and  are  parasitic,  drawing  their 
nourishment  from  decaying  vegetable  matter.  In  fruit  the  plant 
erects  itself  and  loses  its  striking  resemblance  to  a  pipe.  Its 
clammy  touch,  and  its  disposition  to  decompose  and  turn  black 
when  handled,  has  earned  it  the  name  of  corpse-plant.  It  was 
used  by  the  Indians  as  an  eye-lotion,  and  is  still  believed  by  some 
to  possess  healing  properties. 


FIELD  CHICKWEED. 

Cerastium  arvense.     Pink  Family. 

Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Stems. — Slender.  Leaves. — Linear  or  nar- 
rowly lance-shaped,  flowers. — White,  large,  in  terminal  clusters.  Calyx. 
— Usually  of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Usually  of  five  two-lobed  petals  which 
are  more  than  twice  the  length  of  the  calyx.  Stamens. — Twice  as  many,  or 
fewer  than  the  petals.  Pistil. — -One,  with  as  many  styles  as  there  are  sepals. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  noticeable  of  the  chickweeds.  Its 
starry  flowers  are  found  in  dry  or  rocky  places,  blossoming  from 
May  till  July. 

The  common  chickweed,  which  besets  damp  places  every- 
where, is  Stellaria  media ;  this  is  much  used  as  food  for  song- 
.  birds. 

The  long-leaved  stitchwort,  S.  longifolia,  is  a  species  which 
is  common  in  grassy  places,  especially  northward.  It  has  linear 
leaves,  unlike  those  of  S.  media,  which  are  ovate  or  oblong. 


74 


PLATE   XXf 


INDIAN  PIPE  —  M.  uniflora. 

75 


WHITE 


ENCHANTER'S  NIGHTSHADE. 

Circtza  Lutetiana.      Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — One  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  thin,  ovate,  slightly 
toothed.  Flowers. — Dull  white,  small,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — Two- 
lobed.  Corolla. — Of  two  petals.  Stamens. — Two.  Pistil. — One. 

This  insignificant  and  ordinarily  uninteresting  plant  arrests 
attention  by  the  frequency  with  which  it  is  found  flowering  in 
the  summer  woods  and  along  shady  roadsides. 

C.  Alpina  is  a  smaller,  less  common  species,  which  is  found 
along  the  mountains  and  in  deep  woods.  Both  species  are  bur- 
dened with  the  singularly  inappropriate  name  of  enchanter's 
nightshade.  There  is  nothing  in  their  appearance  to  suggest  an 
enchanter  or  any  of  the  nightshades.  It  seems,  however,  that 
the  name  of  a  plant  called  after  the  enchantress  Circe,  and  de- 
scribed by  Dioscorides  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago,  was  acci- 
dentally transferred  to  this  unpretentious  genus. 


THIMBLE-WEED. 

Anemone  Virginiana.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice  cleft,  the  di- 
visions again  toothed  or  cleft.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  sometimes  white, 
borne  on  long,  upright  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — 
None.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — Indefinite  in  number. 

These  greenish  flowers,  which  may  be  found  in  the  woods  and 
meadows  throughout  the  summer,  are  only  striking  by  reason  of 
their  long,  erect  flower-stalks.  The  oblong,  thimble-like  fruit- 
head,  which  is  rather  noticeable  in  the  later  year,  gives  to  the 
plant  its  common  name. 


CLEAVERS.    GOOSE-GRASS.    BEDSTRAW. 

Galium  Aparine.     Madder  Family. 

Stem. — Weak  and  reclining,  bristly.  Leaves. —  Lance-shaped,  about 
eight  in  a  whorl.  Flowers. — White,  small,  growing  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx-teeth.  —  Obsolete.  Corolla.  —  Usually  four-parted,  wheel- 
shaped.  Stamens. — Usually  four.  Pistil. — One  with  two  styles.  Fruit. — 
Globular,  bristly,  with  hooked  prickles. 

This  plant  may  be  found  in  wooded  or  shady  places  through- 
out the  continent.     Its  flowers,  which  appear  in  summer,  are 

76 


9 


WHITE 


rather  inconspicuous,  one's  attention  being  chiefly  attracted  by 
its  many  whorls  of  slender  leaves. 

BITTER-SWEET.    WAX-WORK. 

Celastrus  scandens.     Staff- tree  Family. 

Stem. — Woody,  twining.  Leaves. — Alternate,  oblong,  finely  toothed, 
pointed.  Flovuers. — Small,  greenish,  or  cream-color,  in  raceme-like  clusters, 
appearing  in  June.  Pod. — Orange-colored,  globular,  and  berry-like,  curling 
back  in  three  divisions  when  ripe  so  as  to  display  the  scarlet  covering  of  the 
seeds  within. 

The  small  flowers  of  the  bitter-sweet,  which  appear  in  June, 
rarely  attract  attention.  But  in  October  no  lover  of  color  can 
fail  to  admire  the  deep  orange  pods  which  at  last  curl  back  so  as 
advantageously  to  display  the  brilliant  scarlet  covering  of  the 
seeds.  Perhaps  we  have  no  fruit  which  illuminates  more  vividly 
the  roadside  thicket  of  late  autumn ;  or  touches  with  greater 
warmth  those  tumbled,  overgrown  walls  which  are  so  picturesque 
a  feature  in  parts  of  the  country,  and  do  in  a  small  way  for  our 
quiet  landscapes  what  vine-covered  ruins  accomplish  for  the  scen- 
ery of  the  Old  World. 

CULVER'S  ROOT. 

Veronica  Virginica.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Straight  and  tall,  from  two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves, — Whorled, 
lance-shaped,  finely  toothed.  Floivers. — White,  small,  growing  in  slender 
clustered  spikes.  Calyx. — Irregularly  four  or  five-toothed.  Corolla. — 
Four  or  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Two,  protruding.  Pistil. — One. 

The  tall  straight  stems  of  the  culver's  root  lift  their  slender 
spikes  in  midsummer  to  a  height  that  seems  strangely  at  variance 
with  the  habit  of  this  genus.  The  small  flowers,  however,  at 
once  betray  their  kinship  with  the  speedwells.  Although  it  is, 
perhaps,  a  little  late  to  look  for  the  white  wands  of  the  black 
cohosh  the  two  plants  might  easily  be  confused  in  the  distance, 
as  they  have  much  the  same  aspect  and  seek  alike  the  cool  re- 
cesses of  the  woods.  This  same  species  grows  in  Japan  and  was 
introduced  into  English  gardens  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago. 
It  is  one  of  the  many  Indian  remedies  which  were  adopted  by 
our  forefathers. 

77 


WHITE 


BLACK  COHOSH.    BUGBANE.    BLACK  SNAKEROOT. 

Cimicifuga  racemosa.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided,  the  leaflets  toothed 
or  incised.  Flowers. —  White,  growing  in  elongated  wand-like  racemes. 
Calyx. — Of  four  or  five  white  petal-like  sepals,  falling  early.  Corolla. — Of 
from  one  to  eight  white  petals  or  transformed  stamens.  Stamens. — Numer- 
ous, with  slender  white  filaments.  Pistils. — One  to  three. 

The  tall  white  wands  of  the  black  cohosh  shoot  up  in  the 
shadowy  woods  of  midsummer  like  so  many  ghosts.  A  curious- 
looking  plant  it  is,  bearing  aloft  the  feathery  flowers  which  have 
such  an  unpleasant  odor  that  even  the  insects  are  supposed  to 
avoid  them.  Fortunately  they  are  sufficiently  conspicuous  to  be 
admired  at  a  distance,  many  a  newly  cleared  hill-side  and  wood- 
border  being  lightened  by  their  slender,  torch-like  racemes  which 
flash  upon  us  as  we  travel  through  the  country.  The  plant  was 
one  of  the  many  which  the  Indians  believed  to  be  efficacious  for 
snake-bites.  The  generic  name  is  from  cimex — a  bug,  and  fugare 
— to  drive  away. 

COMMON  ELDER. 

Sambucus  Canadensis.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stems. — Scarcely  woody,  five  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
toothed  leaflets.  Floivers. — White,  small,  in  flat-topped  clusters.  Calyx. — 
Lobes  minute  or  none.  Corolla. — With  five  spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas.  Fruit.—  Dark-purple,  berry-like. 

The  common  elder  borders  the  lanes  and  streams  with  its 
spreading  flower-clusters  in  early  summer,  and  in  the  later  year 
is  noticeable  for  the  dark  berries  from  which  "  elderberry  wine  " 
is  brewed  by  the  country  people.  The  fine  white  wood  is  easily 
cut  and  is  used  for  skewers  and  pegs.  A  decoction  of  the  leaves 
serves  the  gardener  a  good  purpose  in  protecting  delicate  plants 
from  caterpillars.  Evelyn  wrote  of  it:  "If  the  medicinal  prop- 
erties of  the  leaves,  berries,  bark,  etc.,  were  thoroughly  known, 
I  cannot  tell  what  our  countrymen  could  ail  for  which  he  might 
not  fetch  from  every  hedge,  whether  from  sickness  or  wound." 

The  white  pith  can  easily  be  removed  from  the  stems,  hence 
the  old  English  name  of  bore-wood. 

78 


PLATE  XXII 


Fruit 


BLACK   COHOSH.-C'.  racemosa. 
79 


WHITE 


The  name  elder  is  probably  derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon 
aeld — a  fire — and  is  thought  to  refer  to  the  former  use  of  the 
hollow  branches  in  blowing  up  a  fire. 


SPURGE. 

Euphorbia  corollata.     Spui'ge  Family. 

Stem. — Two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Ovate,  lance-shaped  or  linear. 
Flowers. — Clustered  within  the  usually  five-lobed,  cup-shaped  involucre 
which  was  formerly  considered  the  flower  itself  ;  the  male  flowers  numerous 
and  lining  its  base,  consisting  each  of  a  single  stamen;  the  female  flower 
solitary  in  the  middle  of  the  involucre,  consisting  of  a  three-lobed  ovary 
with  three  styles,  each  style  being  two-cleft.  Pod. — On  a  slender  stalk, 
smooth. 

In  this  plant  the  showy  white  appendages  of  the  cup-shaped 
clustered  involucres  are  usually  taken  for  the  petals  of  the  flower ; 
only  the  botanist  suspecting  that  the  minute  organs  within  these 
involucres  really  form  a  cluster  of  separate  flowers  of  different 
sexes.  While  the  most  northerly  range  in  the  Eastern  States  of 
this  spurge  is  usually  considered  to  be  New  York,  the  botany 
states  that  it  has  been  recently  naturalized  in  Massachusetts.  It 
blossoms  from  July  till  October. 


PARTRIDGE  VINE. 

Mitchella  repens.     Madder  Family. 

Stems. —  Smooth  and  trailing.  Leaves. —  Rounded,  evergreen,  veined 
with  white.  Flowers. — White,  fragrant,  in  pairs.  Calyx. — Four-toothed. 
Corolla. — Funnel-form,  with  four  spreading  lobes,  bearded  within.  Stamens. 
— Four.  Pistil. — One,  its  ovary  united  with  that  of  its  sister  flower,  its 
four  stigmas  linear. 

At  all  times  of  the  year  this  little  plant  faithfully  fulfils  its 
mission  of  adorning  that  small  portion  of  the  earth  to  which  it 
finds  itself  rooted.  But  only  the  early  summer  finds  the  partridge  , 
vine  exhaling  its  delicious  fragrance  from  the  delicate  sister- 
blossoms  which  are  its  glory.  Among  the  waxy  flowers  will  be 
found  as  many  of  the  bright  red  berries  of  the  previous  year  as 
have  been  left  unmolested  by  the  hungry  winter  birds.  This 
plant  is  found  not  only  in  the  moist  woods  of  North  America, 

80 


PLATE    XXIII 


PARTRIDGE   VINE.-lf.  repens. 

81 


WHITE 

but  also  in  the  forests  of  Mexico  and  Japan.  It  is  a  near  relative 
of  the  dainty  bluets  or  Quaker  ladies,  and  has  the  same  pecu- 
liarity of  dimorphous  flowers  (p.  232). 

GREEN  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  virescens. 

RAGGED  FRINGED  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  lacera.     Orchis   Family  (p.  17). 

Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Greenish  or  yellowish- 
white,  growing  in  a  spike. 

These  two  orchids  are  found  in  wet  boggy  places  during  the 
earlier  summer,  the  green  antedating  the  ragged  fringed  orchis 
by  a  week  or  more.  The  lip  of  the  ragged  fringed  is  three- 
parted,  the  divisions  being  deeply  fringed,  giving  what  is  called 
in  Sweet's  "British  Flower-Garden"  an  "  elegantly  jagged  ap- 
pearance." The  lip  of  the  green  orchis  is  furnished  with  a  tooth 
on  each  side  and  a  strong  protuberance  in  the  middle.  So  far 
as  superficial  beauty  and  conspicuousness  are  concerned  these 
flowers  do  scant  justice  to  the  brilliant  family  to  which  they  be- 
long, and  equally  excite  the  scornful  exclamation,  "You  call 
that  an  orchid  !  ' '  when  brought  home  for  analysis  or  preserva- 
tion. 

BUTTON-BUSH. 

Cephalanthus  occidentalis.     Madder  Family. 

A  shrub  three  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite  or  whorled  in  threes, 
somewhat  oblong  and  pointed.  Flowers. — Small,  white,  closely  crowded  in 
round  button-like  heads.  Calyx. — Four-toothed.  Corolla. — Four-toothed. 
Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  thread-like  protruding  style  and 
blunt  stigma. 

This  pretty  shrub  borders  the  streams  and  swamps  throughout 
the  country.  Its  button-like  flower -clusters  appear  in  midsum- 
mer. It  belongs  to  the  family  of  which  the  delicate  bluet  and 
fragrant  partridge  vine  are  also  members.  Its  flowers  have  a  jas- 
mine-like fragrance. 

82 


WHITE 


MILD  WATER-PEPPER. 

Polygonum  hydropiperoides.     Buckwheat  Family. 

Stem.  —One  to  three  feet  high,  smooth,  branching.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
narrowly  lance-shaped  or  oblong.  Flowers. — White  or  flesh-color,  small, 
growing  in  erect,  slender  spikes.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla.— rNone. 
Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One,  usually  with  three  styles. 

These  rather  inconspicuous  but  very  common  flowers  are 
found  in  moist  places  and  shallow  water. 

The  common  knotweed,  P.  aviculare,  which  grows  in  such 
abundance  in  country  door-yards  and  waste  places,  has  slender, 
often  prostrate,  stems,  and  small  greenish  flowers,  which  are  clus- 
tered in  the  axils  of  the  leaves  or  spiked  at  the  termination  of 
the  stems.  This  is  perhaps  the  "  hindering  knotgrass  "  to  which 
Shakespeare  refers  in  the  "Midsummer  Night's  Dream,"  so 
terming  it,  not  on  account  of  its  knotted  trailing  stems,  but  be- 
cause of  the  belief  that  it  would  hinder  the  growth  of  a  child.  In 
Beaumont  and  Fletcher's  "Coxcomb"  the  same  superstition  is 
indicated : 

We  want  a  boy 
Kept  under  for  a  year  with  milk  and  knotgrass. 

It  is  said  that  many  birds  are  nourished   by  the  seeds  of  this 
plant. 

CLIMBING  FALSE  BUCKWHEAT. 

Polygonum  scandens.     Buckwheat  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth,  twining,  and  climbing  over  bushes,  eight  to  twelve  feet 
high.  Leaves.—  Heart  or  arrow  shaped,  pointed,  alternate.  Flowers. — 
Greenish  or  pinkish,  in  racemes.  Calyx. — Five-parted,  with  colored  mar- 
gins. Corolla.— None.  Stamens. — Usually  eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  three 
stigmas.  Seed- vessel.— Green,  three-angled,  winged,  conspicuous  in  autumn. 

In  early  summer  this  plant,  which  clambers  so  perseveringly 
over  the  moist  thickets  which  line  our  country  lanes,  is  compara- 
tively inconspicuous.  The  racemes  of  small  greenish  flowers  are 
not  calculated  to  attract  one's  attention,  and  it  is  late  summer  or 
autumn  before  the  thick  clusters  of  greenish  fruit  composed  of  the 

83 


WHITE 


winged  seed-vessels  arrest  one's  notice.  At  this  time  the  vine  is 
very  beautiful  and  striking,  and  one  wonders  that  it  could  have 
escaped  detection  in  the  earlier  year. 


Dalibarda  repens.     Rose  Family. 

Scape. — Low.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped,  wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — White, 
one  or  two  borne  on  each  scape.  Calyx. — Deeply  five  or  six-parted,  three 
of  the  divisions  larger  and  toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — 
Many.  Pistils. — Five  to  ten. 

The  foliage  of  this  pretty  little  plant  suggests  the  violet ; 
while  its  white  blossom*  betrays  its  kinship  with  the  wild  straw- 
berry. It  may  be  found  from  June  till  August  in  woody  places, 
being  one  of  those  flowers  which  we  seek  deliberately,  whose 
charm  is  never  decreased  by  its  being  thrust  upon  us  inoppor- 
tunely. Who  can  tell  how  much  the  attractiveness  of  the  wild 
carrot,  the  dandelion,  or  butter-and-eggs  would  be  enhanced 
were  they  so  discreet  as  to  withdraw  from  the  common  haunts  of 
men  into  the  shady  exclusiveness  which  causes  us  to  prize  many 
far  less  beautiful  flowers  ? 


STARRY  CAMPION. 

Silene  stellata.      Pink  Family. 

Stem. — Swollen  at  the  joints,  about  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled 
in  fours,  oval,  taper-pointed.  Flowers. — White,  in  a  large  pyramidal  cluster. 
Calyx.  —  Inflated,  five-toothed.  Corolla.  —  Of  five  deeply  fringed  petals. 
Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

In  late  July  many  of  our  wooded  banks  are  decorated  with 
the  tall  stems,  whorled  leaves,  and  prettily  fringed  flowers  of  the 
starry  campion. 

Closely  allied  to  it  is  the  bladder  campion  of  the  fields,  S. 
Cucubalus,  a  much  smaller  plant,  with  opposite  leaves,  loosely 
clustered  white  flowers,  a  greatly  inflated  calyx,  and  two-cleft 
petals.  This  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe,  which  was  first  natu- 
ralized near  Boston,  and  has  now  become  wild  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  quite  overrunning  some  of  the  farm-lands  which 
border  the  Hudson  River. 

84 


PLATE    XXiV 


Dalibarda  repent. 
85 


WHITE 


COLIC-ROOT.    STAR-GRASS. 

A  letris  farinosa.     Bloodwort  Family. 

Leaves. — Thin,  lance-shaped,  in  a  spreading  cluster  from  the  root. 
Scape. — Slender,  two  to  three  feet  high.  Flowers. — White,  small,  growing 
in  a  wand-like,  spiked  raceme.  Perianth. — Six-cleft  at  the  summit,  oblong- 
tubular.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  style  three-cleft  at  apex. 

In  summer  we  find  these  flowers  in  the  grassy  woods.  The 
generic  title  is  the  Greek  word  for  "a  female  slave  who  grinds 
corn,"  and  refers  to  the  mealy  appearance  of  the  blossoms. 


TALL  MEADOW  RUE. 

Thalictrum  poly  gam  ttm.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Four  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  many  firm,  rounded  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — White,  in  large  clusters ;  some  perfect,  others  unisexual. 
Calyx. — Of  four  or  five  small  petal-like  sepals  which  usually  fall  off  very 
early.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Four  to  fifteen. 

Where  a  stream  trails  its  sluggish  length  through  the  fields 
of  midsummer,  its  way  is  oftentimes  marked  by  the  tall  meadow 
rue,  the  feathery,  graceful  flower-clusters  of  which  erect  them- 
selves serenely  above  the  myriad  blossoms  which  are  making 
radiant  the  wet  meadows  at  this  season.  For  here,  too,  we 
may  search  for  the  purple  flag  and  fringed  orchis,  the  yellow 
meadow  lily,  the  pink  swamp  milkweed,  each  charming  in  its 
way,  but  none  with  the  cool  chaste  beauty  of  the  meadow  rue. 
The  staminate  flowers  of  this  plant  are  especially  delicate  and 
feathery. 

WHITE  AVENS. 

Geum  album.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  about  two  feet  high.  Root-leaves. — Divided  into  from 
three  to  five  leaflets,  or  entire.  Stem-leaves. — Three-lobed  or  divided,  or 
only  toothed.  Flowers. — White.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft,  usually  with 
five  small  bractlets  alternating  with  its  lobes.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals. 
Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Numerous,  with  hooked  styles  which  be- 
come elongated  in  fruit. 

The  whke  avens  is  one  of  the  less  noticeable  plants  which 
border  the  summer  woods,  blossoming  from  May  till  August. 
Later  the  hooked  seeds  which  grow  in  round  burr-like  heads 

86 


PLATE   XXV 


TALL   MEADOW    RUE.— T.  polygamum. 


WHITE 


secure  wide  dispersion  by  attaching  themselves  to  animals  or 
clothing.  Other  species  of  avens  have  more  conspicuous  gol- 
den-yellow flowers. 

MEADOW-SWEET. 

Spiraa  salicifolia.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Nearly  smooth,  two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves.-^- Alternate, 
somewhat  lance-shaped,  toothed.  Flowers. — Small,  white  or  flesh-color,  in 
pyramidal  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  petals. 
Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  eight. 

The  feathery  spires  of  the  meadow-sweet  soar  upward  from 
the  river  banks  and  low  meadows  in  late  July.  Unlike  its  pink 
sister,  the  steeple-bush,  its  leaves  and  stems  are  fairly  smooth. 
The  lack  of  fragrance  in  the  flowers  is  disappointing,  because  of 
the  hopes  raised  by  the  plant's  common  name.  This  is  said  by 
Dr.  Prior  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  mead-wort, 
which  signifies  honey-wine  herb,  alluding  to  a  fact  which  is  men- 
tioned in  Hill's  "  Herbal,"  that  "  the  flowers  mixed  with  mead 
give  it  the  flavor  of  the  Greek  wines. ' ' 

Although  the  significance  of  many  of  the  plant-names  seems 
clear  enough  at  first  sight,  such  an  example  as  this  serves  to 
show  how  really  obscure  it  often  is. 


WHITE  WATER-LILY. 

Nympha>a  odorata.      Water-lily  Family. 

Leaves. — Rounded,  somewhat  heart-shaped,  floating  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  Flowers. — Large,  white,  or  sometimes  pink,  fragrant.  Calyx. — 
Of  four  sepals  which  are  green  without.  Corolla. — Of  many  petals.  Sta- 
mens.— Indefinite  in  number.  Pistil. — With  a  many-celled  ovary  whose 
summit  is  tipped  with  a  globular  projection  around  which  are  the  radiating 
stigmas. 

This  exquisite  flower  calls  for  little  description.  Many  of  us 
are  so  fortunate  as  to  hold  in  our  memories  golden  mornings  de- 
voted to  its  quest.  Wet  can  hardly  take  the  shortest  railway 
journey  in  summer  without  passing  some  shadowy  pool  whose 
greatest  adornment  is  this  spotless  and  queenly  blossom.  The 
b-eath  of  the  lily-pond  is  brought  even  into  the  heart  of  our  cit- 

88 


PLATE  XXVI 


MEADOW-SWEET.— £  salicifolia. 

80 


WHITE 


ies  where  dark-eyed  little  Italians  peddle  clusters  of  the  long- 
stemmed  fragrant  flowers  about  the  streets. 

In  the  water-lily  may  be  seen  an  example  of  so-called  plant- 
metamorphosis.  The  petals  appear  to  pass  gradually  into  sta- 
mens, it  being  difficult  to  decide  where  the  petals  end  and  the 
stamens  begin.  But  whether  stamens  are  transformed  petals,  or 
petals  transformed  stamens  seems  to  be  a  mooted  question.  In 
Gray  we  read,  "  Petals  numerous,  in  many  rows,  the  innermost 
gradually  passing  into  stamens,"  while  Mr.  Grant  Allen  writes  : 
"Petals  are  in  all  probability  enlarged  and  flattened  stamens, 
which  have  been  set  apart  for  the  work  of  attracting  insects," 
and  goes  on  to  say,  "  Flowers  can  and  do  exist  without  petals, 
.  .  .  but  no  flower  can  possibly  exist  without  stamens,  which 
are  one  of  the  two  essential  reproductive  organs  in  the  plant." 
From  this  he  argues  that  it  is  more  rational  to  consider  a  petal  a 
transformed  stamen  than  vice  versa.  To  go  further  into  the  sub- 
ject here  would  be  impossible,  but  a  careful  study  of  the  water- 
lily  is  likely  to  excite  one's  curiosity  in  the  matter. 


WHITE  VERVAIN. 

Verbena  ^lrt^C(zfolia.     Verbena  Family. 

Three  to  five  feet  high.     Leaves. — Oval,   coarsely  toothed.     Flowers. — 
Small,    white,    in   slender    spikes,    otherwise    resembling   Purple   Vervain. 

It  almost  excites  one's  incredulity  to  be  told  that  this  unin- 
teresting looking  plant,  which  grows  rankly  along  the  highways, 
is  an  importation  from  the  tropics,  yet  for  this  statement  the 
botany  is  responsible. 


ROUND-LEAVED  SUNDEW. 

Drosera  rotundifolid.     Sundew  Family. 

Scape. — A  few  inches  high.  Leaves. — Rounded,  abruptly  narrowed  into 
spreading,  hairy  leaf-stalks ;  beset  with  reddish,  gland-bearing  bristles. 
Flowers. — White,  growing  in  a  one-sided  raceme,  which  so  nods  at  its  apex 
that  the  fresh-blown  blossom  is  always  uppermost.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals. 

90 


WHITE 


Corolla. — Of  five  petals.     Pistil. — One,  with  three  or  five  styles,  which  are 
sometimes  so  deeply  two-parted  as  to  be  taken  for  twice  as  many. 

What's  this  I  hear 

About  the  new  carnivora  ? 

Can  little  plants 

Eat  bugs  and  ants 

And  gnats  and  flies  ? 

A  sort  of  retrograding : 

Surely  the  fare 

Of  flowers  is  air, 

Or  sunshine  sweet ; 

They  shouldn't  eat, 

Or  do  aught  so  degrading ! 

But  by  degrees  we  are  learning  to  reconcile  ourselves  to  the 
fact  that  the  more  we  study  the  plants  the  less  we  are  able  to  at- 
tribute to  them  altogether  unfamiliar  and  ethereal  habits.  We 
find  that  the  laws  which  control  their  being  are  strangely  sug- 
gestive of  those  which  regulate  ours,  and  after  the  disappearance 
of  the  shock  which  attends  the  shattered  illusion,  their  charm  is 
only  increased  by  the  new  sense  of  kinship. 

The  round-leaved  sundew  is  found  blossoming  in  many  of 
our  marshes  in  midsummer.  When  the  sun  shines  upon  its 
leaves  they  look  as  though  covered  with  sparkling  dewdrops, 
hence  its  common  name.  These  drops  are  a  glutinous  exuda- 
tion, by  means  of  which  insects  visiting  the  plant  are  first  capt- 
ured;  the  reddish  bristles  then  close  tightly  about  "them,  and  it 
is  supposed  that  their  juices  are  absorbed  by  the  plant.  At  all 
events  the  rash  visitor  rarely  escapes.  In  many  localities  it  is 
easy  to  secure  any  number  of  these  little  plants  and  to  try  for 
one's  self  the  rather  grewsome  experiment  of  feeding  them  with 
small  insects.  Should  the  tender-hearted  recoil  from  such  reck- 
less slaughter,  they  might  confine  their  offerings  on  the  altar  of 
science  to  mosquitoes,  small  spiders,  and  other  deservedly  un- 
popular creatures. 

D.  Americana  is  a  very  similar  species,  with  longer,  narrower 
leaves. 

The  thread-leaved  sundew,  D.  filiformis  has  fine,  thread- 
like leaves  and  pink  flowers,  and  is  found  in  wet  sand  along  the 
coast. 


WHITE 


POKEWEED.    GARGET.    PIGEON-BERRY. 

Phytolacca  decandra.     Pokeweed  Family. 

Stems. — In  length  from  six  to  ten  feet  high;  purple-pink  or  bright  red, 
stout.  Leaves. — Large,  alternate,  veiny.  Flowers. — White  or  pinkish,  the 
green  ovaries  conspicuous,  growing  in  racemes.  Calyx. — Of  five  rounded 
or  petal-like  sepals,  pinkish  without.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Ten. 
Pistil. — One,  with  ten  styles.  Fruit. — A  dark  purplish  berry. 

There  is  a  vigor  about  this  native  plant  which  is  very  pleas- 
ing. In  July  it  is  possible  that  we  barely  notice  the  white  flow- 
ers and  large  leaves;  but  when  in  September  the  tall  purple 
stems  rear  themselves  above  their  neighbors  in  the  roadside 
thicket,  the  leaves  look  as  though  stained  with  wine,  and  the 
long  clusters  of  rich  dark  berries  hang  heavily  from  the  branches, 
we  cannot  but  admire  its  independent  beauty.  The  berries  serve 
as  food  for  the  birds.  A  tincture  of  them  at  one  time  acquired 
some  reputation  as  a  remedy  for  rheumatism.  In  Pennsylvania 
they  have  been  used  with  whiskey  to  make  a  so-called  "port- 
wine."  From  their  dark  juice  arose  the  name  of  "red-ink 
plant,"  which  is  common  in  some  places.  The  large  roots  are 
poisonous,  but  the  acrid  young  shoots  are  rendered  harmless  by 
boiling,  and  are  eaten  like  asparagus,  being  quite  as  good,  I  have 
been  told  by  country  people. 

Despite  the  difference  in  the  spelling  of  the  names,  it  has 
been  suggested  that  the  plant  was  called  after  President  Polk. 
This  is  most  improbable,  as  it  was  common  throughout  the 
country  long  before  his  birth,  and  its  twigs  are  said  to  have  been 
plucked  and  worn  by  his  followers  during  his  campaign  for  the 
Presidency. 

WHITE  FRINGED  ORCHIS. 

Ilabenaria  blephariglottis.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped,  the  upper  pass- 
ing into  pointed  bracts.  Flowers. — Pure  white,  with  a  slender  spur  and 
fringed  lip  ;  growing  in  an  oblong  spike. 

This  seems  to  me  the  most  exquisite  of  our  native  orchids. 
The  fringed  lips  give  the  snowy,  delicate  flowers  a  feathery  ap- 
pearance as  they  gleam  from  the  shadowy  woods  of  midsummer, 

92 


PLATE    XXVII 


Fruit. 

POKEWEED.— P.  decandra. 
93 


WHITE 


or  from  the  peat-bogs  where  they  thrive  best ;  or  perhaps  they 
spire  upward  from  among  the  dark  green  rushes  which  border 
some  lonely  mountain  lake.  Like  the  yellow  fringed  orchis  (PL 
LII),  which  they  greatly  resemble  in  general  structure,  they  may 
be  sought  in  vain  for  many  seasons  and  then  will  be  discovered 
one  midsummer  day  lavishing  their  spotless  loveliness  upon  some 
unsuspected  marsh  which  has  chanced  to  escape  our  vigilance. 

RATTLESNAKE-PLANTAIN. 

Goody  era  pubescens.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Scape. — Six  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — From  the  root  in  a  sort  of 
flat  rosette  ;  conspicuously  veined  with  white  ;  thickish,  evergreen.  Flowers. 
— Small,  greenish-white,  crowded  in  a  close  spike. 

The  flowers  of  the  rattlesnake-plantain  appear  in  late  sum- 
mer and  are  less  conspicuous  than  the  prettily  tufted,  white- 
veined  leaves  which  may  be  found  in  the  rich  woods  throughout 
the  year.  The  plant  has  been  reputed  an  infallible  cure  for 
hydrophobia  and  snake-bites.  It  is  said  that  the  Indians  had 
such  faith  in  its  remedial  virtues  that  they  would  allow  a  snake 
to  drive  its  fangs  into  them  for  a  small  sum,  if  they  had  these 
leaves  on  hand  to  apply  to  the  wound. 

COMMON  YARROW.    MILFOIL. 

Achillea  Millefolium*     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

(  Stem. — Simple  at  first,  often  branching  near  the  summit.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  finely  toothed  segments.  Flower 'heads. — White,  occasionally 
pink,  clustered,  small,  made  up  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

This  is  one  of  our  most  frequent  roadside  weeds,  blossoming 
throughout  the  summer  and  late  into  the  autumn.  Tradition  claims 
that  it  was  used  by  Achilles  to  cure  the  wounds  of  his  soldiers, 
and  the  genus  is  named  after  that  mighty  hero.  It  still  forms 
one  of  the  ingredients  of  an  ointment  valued  by  the  Scotch  High- 
landers. The  early  English  botanists  called  the  plant  "nose- 
bleed," "  because  the  leaves  being  put  into  the  nose  caused  it  to 
bleed  ;  "  and  Gerarde  writes  that  "  Most  men  say  that  the  leaves 
chewed,  and  especially  greene,  are  a  remedie  for  the  toothache." 

94 


PLATE    XXVIII 


WILD   CARROT.—  D.  carola.  YARROW.  -^.  millefolium. 

95 


WHITE 

These  same  pungent  leaves  also  won  it  the  name  of  "  old  man's 
pepper,"  while  in  Sweden  its  title  signifies  field  hop,  and  re- 
fers to  its  employment  in  the  manufacture  of  beer.  Linnaeus 
considered  the  beer  thus  brewed  to  be  more  intoxicating  than 
that  in  which  hops  were  utilized.  The  old  women  of  the  Orkney 
Islands  hold  "milfoil  tea"  in  high  repute,  believing  it  to  be 
gifted  with  the  power  of  dispelling  melancholy.  In  Switzer- 
land a  good  vinegar  is  said  to  be  made  from  the  Alpine  species. 
The  plant  is  cultivated  in  the  gardens  of  Madeira,  where  so 
many  beautiful,  and  in  our  eyes  rare,  flowers  grow  in  wild 
profusion. 

WILD  CARROT.    BIRD'S  NEST.    QUEEN  ANNE'S  LACE. 

Daucus  carota.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

Stems. — Tall    and    slender.       Leaves. — Finely    dissected.      Flowers. — 
White,  in  a  compound  umbel,  forming  a  circular  flat-topped  cluster. 

When  the  delicate  flowers  of  the  wild  carrot  are  still  unsoiled 
by  the  dust  from  the  highway,  and  fresh  from  the  early  summer 
rains,  they  are  very  beautiful,  adding  much  to  the  appearance  of 
the  roadsides  and  fields  along  which  they  grow  so  abundantly  as 
to  strike  despair  into  the  heart  of  the  farmer,  for  this  is,  per- 
haps, the  "  peskiest  "  of  all  the  weeds  with  which  he  has  to  con- 
tend. As  time  goes  on  the  blossoms  begin  to  have  a  careworn 
look  and  lose  something  of  the  cobwebby  aspect  which  won  them 
the  title  of  Queen  Anne's  lace.  In  late  summer  the  flower- 
stalks  erect  themselves,  forming  a  concave  cluster  which  has  the 
appearance  of  a  bird's  nest.  I  have  read  that  a  species  of  bee 
makes  use  of  this  ready-made  home,  but  have  never  seen  any  in- 
dications of  such  an  occupancy. 

This  is  believed  to  be  the  stock  from  which  the  garden  carrot 
was  raised.  The  vegetable  was  well  known  to  the  ancients,  and 
we  learn  from  Pliny  that  the  finest  specimens  were  brought  to 
Rome  from  Candia.  When  it  was  first  introduced  into  Great 
Britain  is  not  known,  although  the  supposition  is  that  it  was 
brought  over  by  the  Dutch  during  the  reign  of  -Elizabeth.  In 
the  writings  of  Parkinson  we  read  that  the  ladies  wore  carrot- 

.  96 


WHITE 


leaves  in  their  hair  in  place  of  feathers.  One  can  picture  the 
dejected  appearance  of  a  ball-room  belle  at  the  close  of  an  enter- 
tainment. 

WATER  HEMLOCK.    SPOTTED  COWBANE. 

Cicuta  maculata.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

Stem. — Smooth,  stout,  from  two  to  six  feet  high,  streaked  with  purple. 
Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound,  leaflets  coarsely  toothed.  Flowers. — 
White,  in  compound  umbels,  the  little  umbels  composed  of  numerous  flow- 
ers. 

This  plant  is  often  confused  with  the  wild  carrot,  the  sweet 
Cicely,  and  other  white-flowered  members  of  the  Parsley  family ; 
but  it  can  usually  be  identified  by  its  purple-streaked  stem.  The 
umbels  of  the  water-hemlock  are  also  more  loosely  clustered  than 
those  of  the  carrot,  and  their  stalks  are  much  more  unequal.  It 
is  commonly  found  in  marshy  ground,  blossoming  in  midsummer. 
Its  popular  names  refer  to  its  poisonous  properties,  its  root  being 
said  to  contain  the  most  dangerous  vegetable-poison  native  to  our 
country  and  to  have  been  frequently  confounded  with  that  of  the 
edible  sweet  Cicely  with  fatal  results. 

MOCK  BISHOP-WEED. 

Discopleura  capillacea.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

One  or  two  feet  high,  occasionally  much  taller.  Stems. — Branching. 
Leaves. — Dissected  into  fine,  thread-like  divisions.  Flowers. — White,  very 
small,  growing  in  compound  umbels  with  thread-like  bracts. 

This  plant  blossoms  all  summer  in  wet  meadows,  both  inland 
and  along  the  coast ;  but  it  is  especially  common  in  the  salt- 
marshes  near  New  York  City.  It  probably  owes  its  English  name 
to  the  fancied  resemblance  between  the  bracted  flower-clusters 
and  a  bishop's  cap.  Its  effect  is  feathery  and  delicate. 

SWEET  CICELY. 

Osmorrhiza  longistylis.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Root. — Thick,  aromatic,  edible.  Leaves. — 
Twice  or  thrice-compound.  Flowers. — White,  growing  in  a  few-rayed  com- 
pound umbel. 

The  roots  of  the  sweet  Cicely  are  prized  by  country  children 
for  their  pleasant  flavor.  Great  care  should  be  taken  not  to  con- 

97 


WHITE 


found  this  plant  with  the  water-hemlock,  which  is  very  poisonous, 
and  which  it  greatly  resembles,  although  flowering  earlier  in  the 
year.  The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify 
scent  and  root. 

WATER-PARSNIP. 

Sium  cicutczfolium.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Stout.  Leaves. — Divided  into  from  three 
to  eight  pairs  of  sharply  toothed  leaflets.  Floivers. — White,  in  compound 
umbels. 

This  plant  is  found  growing  in  water  or  wet  places  through- 
out North  America. 

ARROW-HEAD. 

Sagittaria  variabilis.     Water-plantain  Family. 

Scape. — A  few  inches  to  several  feet  high.  Leaves. — Arrow-shaped. 
Flowers. — White,  unisexual,  in  whorls  of  three  on  the  leafless  scape.  Calyx. 
— Of  three  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  white,  rounded  petals.  Stamens  and 
Pistils. — Indefinite  in  number,  occurring  indifferent  flowers,  the  lower  whorls 
of  flowers  usually  being  pistillate,  the  upper  staminate. 

Among  our  water-flowers  none  are  more  delicately  lovely  than 
those  of  the  arrow-head.  Fortunately  the  ugly  and  inconspic- 
uous female  flowers  grow  on  the  lower  whorls,  while  the  male 
ones,  with  their  snowy  petals  and  golden  centres,  are  arranged 
about  the  upper  part  of  the  scape,  where  the  eye  first  falls.  It  is 
a  pleasure  to  chance  upon  a  slow  stream  whose  margins  are  bor- 
dered with  these  fragile  blossoms  and  bright,  arrow-shaped  leaves. 

WATER-PLANTAIN. 

Alisma  Plantago.      Water-plantain  Family. 

Scape. — One  to  three  feet  high,  bearing  the  flowers  in  whorled,  panicled 
branches.  Leaves. — From  the  root,  oblong,  lance-shaped  or  linear,  mostly 
rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  base.  Flowers. — White  or  pale  pink,  small, 
in  large,  loose  clusters  which  branch  from  the  scape.  Calyx. — Of  three  se- 
pals. Corolla. — Of  three  petals.  Stamens. — Usually  six.  Pistils. — Many, 
on  a  flattened  receptacle. 

The  water-plantain  is  nearly  related  to  the  arrow-head,  and 
is  often  found  blossoming  with  it  in  marshy  places  or  shallow 
water, 


PLATE    XXIX 


ARROW-HEAD.— S.  variabilis. 
99 


WHITE 


GROUND  CHERRY. 

Physalis  Virginiana.     Nightshade  Family. 

A  strong-scented,  low,  much-branched  and  spreading  herb.  Leaves. — 
Somewhat  oblong  or  heart-shaped,  wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — Greenish  or 
yellowish-white,  solitary  on  nodding  flower-stalks.  Calyx. — Five-cleft ;  en- 
larging and  much  inflated  in  fruit,  loosely  enclosing  the  berry.  Corolla. — 
Between  wheel-shaped  and  funnel-form.  Stamens. — Five,  erect,  with  yel- 
low anthers.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  green  or  yellow  edible  berry  which 
is  loosely  enveloped  in  the  much-inflated  calyx. 

We  find  the  ground  cherry  in  light  sandy  soil,  and  are  more 
apt  to  notice  the  loosely  enveloped  berry  of  the  late  year  than 
the  rather  inconspicuous  flowers  which  appear  in  summer. 


TURTLE-HEAD. 

Chelone  glabra.     Figwort   Family. 

One  to  seven  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth,  upright,  branching.  Leaves. 
— Opposite,  lance-shaped,  toothed.  Flowers. — White  or  pinkish,  growing 
in  a  spike  or  close  cluster.  Calyx. —  Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Two-lipped, 
the  upper  lip  broad  and  arched,  notched  at  the  apex,  lower  lip  three-lobed  at 
the  apex,  woolly  bearded  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four  perfect  ones,  with 
woolly  filaments  and  very  woolly,  heart-shaped  anthers,  and  one  small  sterile 
one.  Pistil. — One. 

It  seems  to  have  been  my  fate  to  find  the  flowers  which  the 
botany  relegates  to  "  dry,  sandy  soil  "  flourishing  luxuriantly  in 
marshes  ;  and  to  encounter  the  flowers  which  by  rights  belong 
to  "  wet  woods  "  flaunting  themselves  in  sunny  meadows.  .This 
cannot  be  attributed  to  the  natural  depravity  of  inanimate  ob- 
jects, for  what  is  more  full  of  life  than  the  flowers  ? — and  no  one 
would  believe  in  their  depravity  except  perhaps  the  amateur- 
botanist  who  is  endeavoring  to  master  the  different  species  of 
golden-rods  and  asters.  Therefore  it  is  pleasant  to  record  that 
I  do  not  remember  ever  having  met  a  turtle-head,  which  is  as- 
signed by  the  botany  to  "wet  places,"  which  had  not  gotten 
as  close  to  a  stream  or  a  marsh  or  a  moist  ditch  as  it  well  could 
without  actually  wetting  its  feet.  The  flowers  of  this  plant  are 
more  odd  and  striking  than  pretty.  Their  appearance  is  such 
that  their  common  name  seems  fairly  appropriate.  I  have  heard 
unbotanical  people  call  them  "  white  closed  gentians." 

100 


PLATE  XXX 


TURTLE-HEAD.— C.  glcibra. 
101 


WHITE 


COMMON  DODDER.    LOVE  VINE. 

Cuscuta  Gronovii.      Convolvulus  Family. 

Stems. — Yellow  or  reddish,  thread-like,  twining,  leafless.  Flowers. — 
White,  in  close  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — With  five  spread- 
ing lobes.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

Late  in  the  summer  we  are  perhaps  tempted  deep  into  some 
thicket  by  the  jasmine-scented  heads  of  the  button-bush  or  the 
fragrant  spikes  of  the  clethra,  and  note  for  the  first  time  the  tan- 
gled golden  threads  and  close  white  flower-clusters  of  the  dodder. 
If  we  try  to  trace  to  their  source  these  twisted  stems,  which  the 
Creoles  know  as  "angels'  hair,"  we  discover  that  they  are 
fastened  to  the  bark  of  the  shrub  or  plant  about  which  they  are 
twining  by  means  of  small  suckers  ;  but  nowhere  can  we  find  any 
connection  with  the  earth,  all  their  nourishment  being  extracted 
from  the  plant  to  which  they  are  adhering.  Originally  this  curi- 
ous herb  sprang  from  the  ground  which  succored  it  until  it  suc- 
ceeded in  attaching  itself  to  some  plant ;  having  accomplished 
this  it  severed  all  connection  with  mother-earth  by  the  wither- 
ing away  or  snapping  off  of  the  stem  below. 

The  flax-dodder,  C.  Epilmum,  is  a  very  injurious  plant  in 
European  flax-fields.  It  has  been  sparingly  introduced  into  this 
country  with  flax-seed. 


TRAVELLER'S  JOY.     VIRGIN'S  BOWER. 

Clematis  Virginiana.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing,  somewhat  woody.  Leaves. — Opposite,  three-divided. 
Flowers.— Whitish,  in  clusters,  unisexual.  Calyx.— Of  four  petal-like  se- 
pals. Corolla. — None.  Stamens  and  Pistils.  —Indefinite  in  number,  oc- 
curring on  different  plants. 

In  July  and  August  this  beautiful  plant,  covered  with  its  white 
blossoms  and  clambering  over  the  shrubs  which  border  the  coun- 
try lanes,  makes  indeed  a  fitting  bower  for  any  maid  or  traveller 
who  may  chance  to  be  seeking  shelter.  Later  in  the  year  the 
seeds  with  their  silvery  plumes  give  a  feathery  effect  which  is 
N  very  striking. 

This  graceful  climber  works  its  way  by  means  of  its  bending 

102 


PLATE  XXXI 


Fruit-cluster. 


TRAVELLER'S  JOY.— Clematis  Virginiana. 
I03 


WHITE 


or  clasping  leaf-stalks.  Darwin  has  made  interesting  experi- 
ments regarding  the  movements  of  the  young  shoots  of  the  Clem- 
atis. He  discovered  that,  "  one  revolved  describing  a  broad 
oval,  in  five  hours,  thirty  minutes ;  and  another  in  six  hours, 
twelve  minutes  ;  they  follow  the  course  of  the  sun." 

SWEET  PEPPERBUSH.    WHITE  ALDER. 

Clethra  alnifolia.      Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  three  to  ten  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate,  ovate,  sharply 
toothed.  Flowers. — White,  growing  in  clustered  finger-like  racemes. 
Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  oblong  petals.  Stamens. — Ten, 
protruding.  Pistil. — One,  three-cleft  at  apex. 

Nearly  all  our  flowering  shrubs  are  past  their  glory  by  mid- 
summer, when  the  fragrant  blossoms  of  the  sweet  pepperbush  be- 
gin to  exhale  their  perfume  from  the  cool  thickets  which  line  the 
lanes  along  the  New  England  coast.  There  is  a  certain  luxuri- 
ance in  the  vegetation  of  this  part  of  the  country  in  August 
which  is  generally  lacking  farther  inland,  where  the  fairer  flow- 
ers have  passed  away,  and  the  country  begins  to  show  the  effects 
of  the  long  days  of  heat  and  drought.  The  moisture  of  the  air, 
and  the  peculiar  character  of  the  soil  near  the  sea,  are  responsible 
for  the  freshness  and  beauty  of  many  of  the  late  flowers  which 
we  find  in  such  a  locality. 

Clethra  is  the  ancient  Greek  name  for  the  alder,  which  this 
plant  somewhat  resembles  in  foliage. 

THORN-APPLE.    JAMESTOWN  WEED. 

Datura  Stramonium.     Nightshade  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth  and  branching.  Leaves. — Ovate,  wavy-toothed  or  angled. 
Flowers. — White,  large  and  showy,  on  short  flower-stalks  from  the  forks  of 
the  branching  stem.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Funnel-form,  the 
border  five-toothed.  Stamens.  —  Five.  Pistil.  —  One.  Fruit.  —  Green, 
globular,  prickly. 

The  showy  white  flowers  of  the  thorn-apple  are  found  in  waste 
places  during  the  summer  and  autumn,  a  heap  of  rubbish  form- 
ing their  usual  unattractive  background.  The  plant  is  a  rank, 
ill-scented  one,  which  was  introduced  into  our  country  from  Asia. 

104 


WHITE 

It  was  so  associated  with  civilization  as  to  be  called  the  "  white 
man's  plant  "  by  the  Indians. 

Its  purple-flowered  relative,  D.  Tatula,  is  an  emigrant  from 
the  tropics.  This  genus  possesses  narcotic-poisonous  properties. 

WILD  BALSAM-APPLE. 

Echinocystis  lobata.     Gourd  Family. 

Stem. — Climbing,  nearly  smooth,  with  three-forked  tendrils.  Leaves. — 
Deeply  and  sharply  rive-lobed.  Flowers. — Numerous,  small,  greenish-white, 
unisexual  ;  the  staminate  ones  growing  in  long  racemes,  the  pistillate  ones  in 
small  clusters  or  solitary.  Fruit. — Fleshy,  oval,  green,  about  two  inches 
long,  clothed  with  weak  prickles. 

This  is  an  ornamental  climber  which  is  found  bearing  its 
flowers  and  fruit  at  the  same  time.  It  grows  in  rich  soil  along 
rivers  in  parts  of  New  England,  Pennsylvania,  and  westward  ; 
and  is  often  cultivated  in  gardens,  making  an  effective  arbor- 
vine.  The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify 
hedgehog  and  bladder,  in  reference  to  the  prickly  fruit. 

WHITE  ASTERS. 

Aster.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Flower-heads. — Composed  of  white  ray-flowers  with  a  centre  of  yellow 
disk-flowers. 

While  we  have  far  fewer  species  of  white  than  of  blue  or 
purple  asters,  some  of  these  few  are  so  abundant  in  individuals 
as  to  hold  their  own  fairly  well  against  their  bright-hued  rivals. 

The  slender  zig-zag  stems,  thin,  coarsely  toothed,  heart- 
shaped  leaves,  and  white,  loosely  clustered  flower-heads  of  A. 
corymbosus,  are  noticeable  along  the  shaded  roadsides  and  in  the 
open  woods  of  August. 

Bordering  the  dry  fields  at  this  same  season  are  the  spreading 
wand-like  branches,  thickly  covered  with  the  tiny  flower-heads  as 
with  snowflakes,  of  A.  ericoides. 

A.  umbellatus  is  the  tall  white  aster  of  the  swamps  and  moist 
thickets.  It  sometimes  reaches  a  height  of  seven  feet,  and  can 
be  identified  by  its  long  tapering  leaves  and  large,  flat  flower- 
clusters. 

105 


WHITE 

A  beautiful  and  abundant  seaside  species  is  A.  multiflorus. 
Its  small  flower-heads  are  closely  crowded  on  the  low,  bushy, 
spreading  branches  ;  its  leaves  are  narrow,  rigid,  crowded,  and 
somewhat  hoary.  The  whole  effect  of  the  plant  is  heath-like ; 
it  also  somewhat  suggests  an  evergreen. 

BONESET.    THOROUGHWORT. 

Eupatorium  perfoliatum.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Stout  and  hairy,  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite, 
widely  spreading,  lance-shaped,  united  at  the  base  around  the  stem.  Flower- 
heads. — Dull  white,  small,  composed  entirely  of  tubular  blossoms  borne  in 
large  clusters. 

To  one  whose  childhood  was  passed  in  the  country  some 
fifty  years  ago  the  name  or  sight  of  this  plant  is  fraught  with 
unpleasant  memories.  The  attic  or  wood-shed  was  hung  with 
bunches  of  the  dried  herb  which  served  as  so  many  grewsome 
warnings  against  wet  feet,  or  any  over-exposure  which  might 
result  in  cold  or  malaria.  A  certain  Nemesis,  in  the  shape  of  a 
nauseous  draught  which  was  poured  down  the  throat  under  the 
name  of  "  boneset  tea,"  attended  such  a  catastrophe.  The  Ind- 
ians first  discovered  its  virtues,  and  named  the  plant  ague-weed. 
Possibly  this  is  one  of  the  few  herbs  whose  efficacy  has  not  been 
over-rated.  Dr.  Millspaugh  says  :  ' '  It  is  prominently  adapted  to 
cure  a  disease  peculiar  to  the  South,  known  as  break-bone  fever 
(Dengue),  and  it  is  without  doubt  from  this  property  that  the 
name  boneset  was  derived." 


WHITE  SNAKEROOT. 

Eupatorium  ageratoides.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

About  three  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth  and  branching.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite, long-stalked,  broadly  ovate,  coarsely  and  sharply  toothed.  Flower- 
heads. — White,  clustered,  composed  of  tubular  blossoms. 

Although  this  species  is  less  common  than  boneset,  it  is 
frequently  found  blossoming  in  the  rich  Northern  woods  of  late 
summer. 

106 


PLATE  XXXII 


BONE  SET.— E.  perfoliatum. 
I07 


WHITE 


CLIMBING  HEMP-WEED. 

Mikania  scandens.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Twining  and  climbing,  nearly  smooth.  Leaves. — Opposite, 
somewhat  triangular-heart-shaped,  pointed,  toothed  at  the  base.  Flo%ver- 
heads. — Dull  white  or  flesh -color,  composed  of  four  tubular  flowers ;  clus- 
tered, resembling  boneset. 

In  late  summer  one  often  finds  the  thickets  which  line  the 
slow  streams  nearly  covered  with  the  dull  white  flowers  of  the 
climbing  hemp-weed.  At  first  sight  the  likeness  to  the  boneset 
is  so  marked  that  the  two  plants  are  often  confused,  but  a  second 
glance  discovers  the  climbing  stems  and  triangular  leaves  which 
clearly  distinguish  this  genus. 


LADIES'  TRESSES. 

Spirant  hes  cermia.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — Leafy  below,  leafy-bracted  above,  six  to  twenty  inches  high. 
Leaves. —  Linear-lance-shaped,  the  lowest  elongated.  Flowers. — White, 
fragrant,  the  lips  wavy  or  crisped  ;  growing  in  slender  spikes. 

This  pretty  little  orchid  is  found  in  great  abundance  in  Sep- 
tember and  October.  The  botany  relegates  it  to  "  wet  places," 
but  I  have  seen  dry  upland  pastures  as  well  as  low-lying  swamps 
profusely  flecked  with  its  slender,  fragrant  spikes.  The  braided 
appearance  of  these  spikes  would  easily  account  for  the  popular 
name  of  ladies'  tresses ;  but  we  learn  that  the  plant's  English 
name  was  formerly  "  ladies'  traces  "  from  a  fancied  resemblance 
between  its  twisted  clusters  and  the  lacings  which  played  so  im- 
portant a  part  in  the  feminine  toilet.  I  am  told  that  in  parts  of 
New  England  the  country  people  have  christened  the  plant  ' '  wild 
hyacinth." 

The  flowers  of  S.  gracilis  are  very  small,  and  grow  in  a  much 
more  slender,  one-sided  spike  than  those  of  S.  cernua.  They 
are  found  in  the  dry  woods  and  along  the  sandy  hill  sides  from 
July  onward. 


108 


PLATE    XXXIII 


LADIES'   TRESSES.—  8.  cernua. 
109 


WHITE 


GREEN-FLOWERED  MILKWEED. 

Asclepias  verticillata.     Milkweed  Family. 

Stem, — Slender,  very  leafy  to  the  summit.  Leaves. — Very  narrow,  from 
three  to  six  in  a  whorl.  Flowers. — Greenish-white,  in  small  clusters  at  the 
summit  and  along  the  .sides  of  the  stem.  Fruit. — Two  erect  pods,  one  often 
stunted. 

This  species  is  one  commonly  found  on  dry  uplands,  espe- 
cially southward,  with  flowers  resembling  in  structure  those  of 
the  other  milkweeds.  (PL  .) 


GROUNDSEL  TREE. 

Baccharis  halimifolia.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

A  shrub  from  six  to  twelve  feet  high.  Leaves. — Somewhat  ovate  and 
wedge-shaped,  coarsely  toothed  on  the  upper  entire.  F 'lower-heads. — Whit- 
ish or  yellowish,  composed  of  unisexual  tubular  flowers,  the  stamens  and 
pistils  occurring  on  different  plants. 

Some  October  day,  as  we  pick  our  way  through  the  salt 
marshes  which  lie  back  of  the  beach,  we  may  spy  in  the  distance 
a  thicket  which  looks  as  though  composed  of  such  white-flowered 
shrubs  as  belong  to  June.  Hastening  to  the  spot  we  discover 
that  the  silky-tufted  seeds  of  the  female  groundsel-tree  are  re- 
sponsible for  our  surprise.  The  shrub  is  much  more  noticeable 
and  effective  at  this  season  than  when — a  few  weeks  previous — 
it  was  covered  with  its  small  white  or  yellowish  flower-heads. 


GRASS  OF  PARNASSUS. 

Parnassia  Caroliniana.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stem.—  Scape-like,  nine  inches  to  two  feet  high,  with  usually  one  small 
rounded  leaf  clasping  it  below  ;  bearing  at  its  summit  a  single  flower. 
Leaves. — Thickish,  rounded,  often  heart-shaped,  from  the  root.  Flower. — 
White  or  cream-color,  veiny.  Calyx. — Of  five  slightly  united  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— Of  five  veiny  petals.  True  Stamens. — Five,  alternate  with  the  pet- 
als, and  with  clusters  of  sterile  gland-tipped  filaments.  Pistil. — One,  with 
four  stigmas. 

Gerarde  indignantly  declares  that  this  plant  has  been  de- 
scribed by  blind  men,  not  "such  as  are  blinde  in  their  eyes,  but 
in  their  understandings,  for  if  this  plant  be  a  kind  of  grasse  then 

no 


PLATE  XXXIV 


GRASS  OF   PARNASSUS— P.  Caroliniana. 
Ill 


WHITE 

may  the  Butter-burre  or  Colte's-foote  be  reckoned  for  grasses — as 
also  all  other  plants  whatsoever."  But  if  it  covered  Parnassus 
with  its  delicate  veiny  blossoms  as  abundantly  as  it  does  some 
moist  New  England  meadows  each  autumn,  the  ancients  may 
have  reasoned  that  a  plant  almost  as  common  as  grass  must  some- 
how partake  of  its  nature.  The  slender -stemmed,  creamy  flow- 
ers are  never  seen  to  better  advantage  than  when  disputing  with 
the  fringed  gentian  the  possession  of  some  luxurious  swamp. 

PEARLY  EVERLASTING. 

Anaphilis  margaritacea.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Erect,  one  or  two  feet  high,  leafy.  Leaves. — Broadly  linear  to 
lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  with 
very  numerous  pearly  white  involucral  scales. 

This  species  is  common  throughout  our  Northern  woods  and 
pastures,  blossoming  in  August.  Thoreau  writes  of  it  in  Sep- 
tember :  "  The  pearly  everlasting  is  an  interesting  white  at  pres- 
ent. Though  the  stems  and  leaves  are  still  green,  it  is  4rv  and 
unwithering  like  an  artificial  flower ;  its  white,  flexuous  stem  and 
branches,  too,  like  wire  wound  with  cotton.  Neither  is  there 
any  scent  to  betray  it.  Its  amaranthine  quality  is  instead  of 
high  color.  Its  very  brown  centre  now  affects  me  as  a  fresh  and 
original  color.  It  monopolizes  small  circles  in  the  midst  of 
sweet  fern,  perchance,  on  a  dry  hill-side." 

FRAGRANT  LIFE-EVERLASTING. 

Gnaphalium  polycephahim.      Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Erect,  one  to  three  feet  high,  woolly.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped. 
Flower-heads. — Yellowish-white,  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  branches, 
composed  of  many  tubular  flowers. 

This  is  the  "fragrant  life-everlasting,"  as  Thoreau  calls 
it,  of  late  summer.  It  abounds  in  rocky  pastures  and  through- 
out the  somewhat  open  woods. 

NOTE. — Flowers  so  faintly  tinged  with  color  as  to  give  a  white  effect  in 
the  mass  or  at  a  distance  are  placed  in  the  White  section  :  greenish  or  green- 
ish-white flowers  are  also  found  here.  The  Moth  Mullein  (p.  152)  and 
Bouncing  Bet  (p.  196)  are  found  frequently  bearing  white  flowers  :  indeed, 
white  varieties  of  flowers  which  are  usually  colored,  need  never  surprise  one. 

112 


II 

YELLOW 

MARSH  MARIGOLD. 

Caltha  palustris.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stem. — Hollow,  furrowed.  Leaves. — Rounded,  somewhat  kidney-shaped. 
Flowers. — Golden-yellow.  Calyx. — Of  five  to  nine  petal-like  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— None.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  ten,  almost  with- 
out styles. 

Hark,  hark  !  the  lark  at  Heaven's  gate  sings, 

And  Phoebus  'gins  arise, 
His  steeds  to  water  at  those  springs, 

On  chaliced  flowers  that  lies  : 
And  winking  Mary-buds  begin 

To  ope  their  golden  eyes  ; 
With  everything  that  pretty  is — 

My  lady  sweet,  arise  ! 

Arise,  arise. —  Cymbeline. 

We  claim — and  not  without  authority — that  these  "  winking 
Mary-buds  ' '  are  identical  with  the  gay  marsh  marigolds  which 
border  our  springs  and  gladden  our  wet  meadows  every  April. 
There  are  those  who  assert  that  the  poet  had  in  mind  the  garden 
marigold — Calendula — but  surely  no  cultivated  flower  could  har- 
monize with  the  spirit  of  the  song  as  do  these  gleaming  swamp 
blossoms.  We  will  yield  to  the  garden  if  necessary — 

The  marigold  that  goes  to  bed  with  the  sun 
And  with  him  rises  weeping — 

of  the  "  Winter's  Tale,"  but  insist  on  retaining  for  that  larger, 
lovelier  garden  in  which  we  all  feel  a  certain  sense  of  possession 
— even  if  we  are  not  taxed  on  real  estate  in  any  part  of  the  coun- 
try— the  "  golden  eyes  "  of  the  Mary-buds,  and  we  feel  strength- 
ened in  our  position  by  the  statement  in  Mr.  Robinson's  "Wild 
Garden  ' '  that  the  marsh  marigold  is  so  abundant  along  certain 
English  rivers  as  to  cause  the  ground  to  look  as  though  paved 
with  gold  at  those  seasons  when  they  overflow  their  banks. 

"3 


YELLOW 

These  flowers  are  peddled  about  our  streets  every  spring 
under  the  name  of  cowslips — a  title  to  which  they  have  no  claim, 
and  which  is  the  result  of  that  reckless  fashion  of  christening  un- 
recognized flowers  which  is  so  prevalent,  and  which  is  responsible 
for  so  much  confusion  about  their  English  names. 

The  derivation  of  marigold  is  somewhat  obscure.  In  the 
"  Grete  Herball  "  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  flower  is  spoken 
of  as  Mary  Gowles,  and  by  the  early  English  poets  as  gold  sim- 
ply. As  the  first  part  of  the  word  might  be  derived  from  the 
Anglo-Saxon  mere — a  marsh,  it  seems  possible  that  the  entire 
name  may  signify  marsh-gold,  which  would  be  an  appropriate 
and  poetic  title  for  this  shining  flower  of  the  marshes. 

SPICE-BUSH.    BENJAMIN-BUSH.    FEVER-BUSH. 

Lindera  Benzoin.     Laurel  Family. 

An  aromatic  shrub  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong,  pale 
underneath.  Flowers. — Appearing  before  the  leaves  in  March  or  April, 
honey-yellow,  borne  in  clusters  which  are  composed  of  smaller  clusters,  sur- 
rounded by  an  involucre  of  four  early  falling  scales.  Fruit. — Red,  berry- 
like,  somewhat  pear-shaped. 

These  are  among  the  very  earliest  blossoms  to  be  found  in 
the  moist  woods  of  spring.  During  the  Revolution  the  pow- 
dered berries  were  used  as  a  substitute  for  allspice  ;  while  at  the 
time  of  the  Rebellion  the  leaves  served  as  a  substitute  for  tea. 

YELLOW  ADDER'S  TONGUE.    DOG'S  TOOTH  VIOLET. 

Erytkroniwn  Americanum.     Lily  Family. 

Scape. — Six  to  nine  inches  high,  one-flowered.  Leaves. — Two,  oblong- 
lance-shaped,  pale  green  mottled  with  purple  and  white.  Floiver. — Rather 
large,  pale  yellow  marked  with  purple,  nodding.  Perianth. — Of  six  re- 
curved or  spreading  sepals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

The  white  blossoms  of  the  shad-bush  gleam  from  the  thicket, 
and  the  sheltered  hill-side  is  already  starred  with  the  blood-root 
and  anemone  when  we  go  to  seek  the  yellow  adder's  tongue. 
We  direct  our  steps  toward  one  of  those  hollows  in  the  wood 
which  is  watered  by  such  a  clear  gurgling  brook  as  must  appeal 
to  every  country-loving  heart ;  and  there  where  the  pale  April 
sunlight  filters  through  the  leafless  branches,  nod  myriads  of 

114 


PLATE  XXXV 


MARSH    MARIGOLD.— C.  palustris. 

"5 


YELLOW 

these  lilies,  each  one  guarded  by  a  pair  of  mottled,  erect,  senti- 
nel-like leaves. 

The  two  English  names  of  this  plant  are  unsatisfactory  and 
inappropriate.  If  the  marking  of  its  leaves  resembles  the  skin  of 
an  adder  why  name  it  after  its  tongue  ?  And  there  is  equally 
little  reason  for  calling  a  lily  a  violet.  Mr.  Burroughs  has  sug- 
gested two  pretty  and  significant  names.  "Fawn  lily,"  he 
thinks,  would  be  appropriate,  because  a  fawn  is.  also  mottled,  and 
because  the  two  leaves  stand  up  with  the  alert,  startled  look  of 
a  fawn's  ears.  The  speckled  foliage  and  perhaps  its  flower- 
ing season  are  indicated  in  the  title  "  trout-lily,"  which  has  a 
spring-like  flavor  not  without  charm.  It  is  said  that  the  early 
settlers  of  Pennsylvania  named  the  flower  "yellow  snowdrop," 
in  memory  of  their  own  "  harbinger  of  spring." 

The  white  adder's  tongue,  E.  albidum,  is  a  species  which  is 
usually  found  somewhat  westward. 

CELANDINE. 

Chelidonium  majus.     Poppy  Family. 

Stem. — Brittle,  with  saffron-colored,  acrid  juice.  Leaves. — Compound 
or  divided,  toothed  or  cut.  Flowers. — Yellow,  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  two 
sepals  falling  early.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Sixteen  to 
twenty-four.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma.  Pod. — Slender,  linear. 

The  name  of  celandine  must  always  suggest  the  poet  who 
never  seemed  to  weary  of  writing  in  its  honor  : 

Pansies,  lilies,  kingcups,  daisies, 
Let  them  live  upon  their  praises  ; 
Long  as  there's  a  sun  that  sets, 
Primroses  will  have  their  glory ; 
Long  as  there  are  violets, 
They  will  have  a  place  in  story  ; 
There's  a  flower  that  shall  be  mine, 
Tis  the  little  celandine. 

And  when  certain  yellow  flowers  which  frequent  the  village  road- 
side are  pointed  out  to  us  as  those  of  the  celandine,  we  feel  a 
sense  of  disappointment  that  the  favorite  theme  of  Wordsworth 
should  arouse  within  us  so  little  enthusiasm.  So  perhaps  we  are 
rather  relieved  than  otherwise  to  realize  that  the  botanical  name 

1(6 


PLATE   XXXVI 


Bulb. 


YELLOW   ADDERS  TONGUE.— E.  Anusricanum. 
117 


YELLOW 

of  this  plant  signifies  greater  celandine ;  for  we  remember  that 
the  poet  never  failed  to  specify  the  small  celandine  as  the  object 
of  his  praise.  The  small  celandine  is  Ranunculus  ficaria,  one 
of  the  Crowfoot  family,  and  is  only  found  in  this  country  as  an 
escape  from  gardens. 

Gray  tells  us  that  the  generic  name,  Chelidonium,  from  the 
ancient  Greek  for  swallow,  was  given  "  because  its  flowers  ap- 
pear with  the  swallows ; ' '  but  if  we  turn  to  Gerarde  we  read 
that  the  title  was  not  bestowed  "  because  it  first  springeth  at  the 
coming  in  of  the  swallowes,  or  dieth  when  they  go  away,  for  as 
we  have  saide,  it  may  be  founde  all  the  yeare  ;  but  because  some 
holde  opinion,  that  with  this  herbe  the  dams  restore  sight  to 
their  young  ones,  when  their  eies  be  put  out. ' ' 

CELANDINE  POPPY. 

Stylophorum  diphyllum.     Poppy  Family. 

Stem. — Low,  two-leaved.  Stem-leaves. — Opposite,  deeply  incised.  Root- 
leaves. — Incised  or  divided.  Flovvers. — Deep  yellow,  large,  one  or  more  at 
the  summit  of  the  stem.  Calyx. — Of  two  hairy  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  four 
petals.  Stamens. — Many.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two  to  four-lobed  stigma. 

In  April  or  May,  somewhat  south  and  westward,  the  woods 
are  brightened,  and  occasionally  the  hill-sides  are  painted  yel- 
low, by  this  handsome  flower.  In  both  flower  and  foliage  the 
plant  suggests  the  celandine. 


DOWNY  YELLOW  VIOLET. 

Viola  pubescens.     Violet  Family. 

Stems. — Leafy  above,  erect.  Leaves. — Broadly  heart-shaped,  toothed. 
Flowers. — Yellow,  veined  with  purple,  otherwise  much  like  those  of  the 
common  blue  violet. 

When  beechen  buds  begin  to  swell, 

And  woods  the  blue-bird's  warble  know, 

The  yellow  violet's  modest  bell 
Peeps  from  the  last  year's  leaves  below, 

sings  Bryant,  in  his  charming,  but  not  strictly  accurate  poem,  for 
the  chances  are  that  the  "  beechen  buds  "  have  almost  burst  into 

118 


PLATE    XXXVII 


DOWNY  YELLOW   VIOLET.—  V.  pubescens. 
119 


YELLOW 

foliage,  and  that  the  "blue-bird's  warble"  has  been  heard  for 
some  time  when  these  pretty  flowers  begin  to  dot  the  woods. 
The  lines  which  run  : 

Yet  slight  thy  form,  and  low  thy  seat, 

And  earthward  bent  thy  gentle  eye, 
Unapt  the  passing  view  to  meet, 

When  loftier  flowers  are  flaunting  nigh, 

would  seem  to  apply  more  correctly  to' the  round-leaved,  V.  ro- 
tundifolia,  than  to  the  downy  violet,  for  although  its  large,  flat 
shining  leaves  are  somewhat  conspicuous,  its  flowers  are  borne 
singly  on  a  low  scape,  which  would  be  less  apt  to  attract  notice 
than  the  tall,  leafy  flowering  stems  of  the  other. 

COMMON  CINQUEFOIL.    FIVE  FINGER. 

Potentilla  Canadensis.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  prostrate,  or  sometimes  erect.  Leaves. — Divided  really 
into  three  leaflets,  but  apparently  into  five  by  the  parting  of  the  lateral  leaf- 
lets. Flowers. — Yellow,  growing  singly  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. 
— Deeply  five-cleft,  with  bracts  between  each  tooth,  thus  appearing  ten-cleft. 
Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Many.  Pistils. — Many  in  a 
head. 

From  spring  to  nearly  midsummer  the  roads  are  bordered 
and  the  fields  carpeted  with  the  bright  flowers  of  the  common 
cinquefoil.  The  passer-by  unconsciously  betrays  his  recognition 
of  some  of  the  prominent  features  of  the  Rose  family  by  often 
assuming  that  the  plant  is  a  yellow-flowered  wild  strawberry. 
Both  of  the  English  names  refer  to  the  pretty  foliage,  cinque- 
foil  being  derived  from  the  French  cinque  feui lies.  The  generic 
name,  Potentilla,  has  reference  to  the  powerful  medicinal  proper- 
ties formerly  attributed  to  the  genus. 


SHRUBBY  CINQUEFOIL.    FIVE  FINGER. 

Potentilla  fruticosa.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. — Erect,  shrubby,  one  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves, — Divided  into 
five  to  seven  narrow  leaflets.  Flowers. — Yellow,  resembling  those  of  the 
common  cinquefoil. 

Of  all  the  cinquefoils  perhaps  this  one  most  truly  merits  the 
.title  five  finger.     Certainly  its  slender  leaflets  are  much  more 

120 


PLATE   XXXVIII 


Leaf. 


SHRUBBY    CINQUEFOIL.— P.  fruticosa. 
121 


YELLOW 

finger-like  than  those  of  the  common  cinquefoil.  It  is  not  a 
common  plant  in  most  localities,  but  is  very  abundant  among 
the  Berkshire  Hills. 

SILVERY  CINQUEFOIL. 

Potentilla  argentea.     Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Ascending,  branched  at  the  summit,  white,  woolly.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  five  wedge-oblong,  deeply  incised  leaflets,  which  are  green 
above,  white  with  silvery  wool,  beneath. 

The  silvery  cinquefoil  has  rather  large  yellow  flowers  which 
are  found  in  dry  fields  throughout  the  summer  as  far  south  as 
New  Jersey. 

GOLDEN  RAGWORT.    SQUAW-WEED. 

Senecio  aureus.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — One  to  three  feet  high.  Root-leaves. — Rounded,  the  larger  ones 
mostly  heart-shaped,  toothed,  and  long-stalked.  Stem-leaves. — The  lower 
lyre-shaped,  the  upper  lance-shaped,  incised,  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flower- 
heads. — Yellow,  clustered,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

A  child  would  perhaps  liken  the  flower  of  the  golden  ragwort 
to  a  yellow  daisy.  Stain  yellow  the  white  rays  of  the  daisy,  di- 
minish the  size  of  the  whole  head  somewhat,  and  you  have  a  pretty 
good  likeness  of  the  ragwort.  There  need  be  little  difficulty  in 
the  identification  of  this  plant — although  there  are  several  marked 
varieties — for  its  flowers  are  abundant  in  the  early  year,  at  which 
season  but  few  members  of  the  Composite  family  are  abroad. 

The  generic  name  is  from  senex — an  old  man — alluding  to 
the  silky  down  of  the  seeds,  which  is  supposed  to  suggest  the  sil- 
very hairs  of  age. 

Closely  allied  to  the  golden  ragwort  is  the  common  ground- 
sel, S.  vulgaris,  which  is  given  as  food  to  caged  birds.  The 
flower-heads  of  this  species  are  without  rays. 


Clintonia  borealis.     Lily  Family. 

Scape. — Five  to  eight  inches  high,  sheathed  at  its  base  by  the  stalks  of 
two  to  four  large,  oblong,  conspicuous  leaves.  Flowers. — Greenish-yellow, 
rather  large,  rarely  solitary.  Perianth. — Of  six  sepals.  Stamens. — Six, 
protruding.  Pistil. — One,  protruding.  Frttit. — A  blue  berry. 

When  rambling  through  the  cool,  moist  woods  our  attention 
is  often  attracted  by  patches  of  great  dark,  shining,  leaves  ;  and 


PLATE   XXXIX 


Fruit. 


Clintonia  borealis. 
123 


YELLOW 

if  it  be  late  in  the  year  we  long  to  know  the  flower  of  which  this 
rich  foliage  is  the  setting.  To  satisfy  our  curiosity  we  must  re- 
turn the  following  May  or  June,  when  we  shall  probably  find  that 
a  slender  scape  rises  from  its  midst  bearing  at  its  summit  several 
bell-shaped  flowers,  which,  without  either  high  color  or  fragrance, 
are  peculiarly  charming.  It  is  hard  to  understand  why  this 
beautiful  plant  has  received  no  English  name.  As  to  its  generic 
title  we  cannot  but  sympathize  with  Thoreau.  "  Gray  should 
not  have  named  it  from  the  Governor  of  New  York,"  he  com- 
plains ;  "  what  is  he  to  the  lovers  of  flowers  in  Massachusetts? 
If  named  after  a  man,  it  must  be  a  man  of  flowers.  .  .  . 
Name  your  canals  and  railroads  after  Clinton,  if  you  please,  but 
his  name  is  not  associated  with  flowers. ' ' 

C.  umbellata  is  a  more  Southern  species,  with  smaller  white 
flowers,  which  are  speckled  with  green  or  purplish  dots. 

YELLOW  LADY'S  SLIPPER.    WHIP-POOR-WILL'S  SHOE. 

Cypripedium  pubescens.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — About  two  feet  high,  downy,  leafy  to  the  top,  one  to  three- 
flowered.  Leaves. — Alternate,  broadly  oval,  many-nerved  and  plaited. 
Flowers. — Large,  yellow.  Perianth. — Two  of  the  three  brownish,  elon- 
gated sepals  united  into  one  under  the  lip  ;  the  lateral  petals  linear,  wavy- 
twisted,  brownish  ;  the  pale  yellow  lip  an  inflated  pouch.  Stamens. — 
Two,  the  short  filaments  of  each  bearing  a  two-celled  anther.  Stigma. — 
Broad,  obscurely  three-lobed,  moist  and  roughish. 

The  yellow  lady's  slipper  usually  blossoms  in  May  or  June, 
a  few  days  later  than  its  pink  sister,  C.  acaule.     Regarding  its 
favorite   haunts,    Mr.   Baldwin*  says:    "Its   preference   is   for 
maples,  beeches,  and  particularly  butternuts,  and  for  sloping  or 
***       hilly  ground,  and   I  always  look  with  glad  suspicion  at  a  knoll 
J\       covered  with  ferns,  cohoshes,  and  trilliums,  expecting  to  see  a 
clump  of  this   plant   among   them.     Its  sentinel-like  habit  of 
choosing  '  sightly  places '  leads  it  to  venture  well  up  on  moun- 
tain sides." 

The  long,  wavy,  brownish  petals  give  the  flower  an  alert, 
startled  look  when  surprised  in  its  lonely  hiding-places. 

C.  parviflorum,  the  small  yellow  lady's  slipper,  differs  from 

*  Orchids  of  New  England. 
124 


. 


PLATE  XL 


SMALLER   YELLOW    LADY'S   SLIPPER.— C.  parvijlorum. 
I25 


YELLOW 

C.  pubescens  in  the  superior  richness  of  its  color  as  well  as  in  its 
size.     It  also  has  the  charm  of  fragrance. 

EARLY  MEADOW  PARSNIP. 

Zizia  aurea.     Parsley  Family  (p.  15). 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Twice  or  thrice-compound,  leaflets 
oblong  to  lance-shaped,  toothed.  Flowers. — Yellow,  small,  in  compound 
umbels. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Parsley  family  to 
appear.  Its  golden  flower-clusters  brighten  the  damp  meadows 
and  the  borders  of  streams  in  May  or  June  and  closely  resemble 
the  meadow  parsnip,  Thaspium  aureum,  of  which  this  species 
was  formerly  considered  a  variety,  of  the  later  year. 

The  tall,  stout,  common  wild  parsnip,  Pastinaca  sativa,  is 
another  yellow  representative  of  this  family  in  which  white 
flowers  prevail,  the  three  plants  here  mentioned  being  the  only 
yellow  species  commonly  encountered.  The  common  parsnip  may 
be  identified  by  its  grooved  stem  and  simply  compound  leaves. 
Its  roots  have  been  utilized  for  food  at  least  since  the  reign  of 
Tiberius,  for  Pliny  tells  us  that  that  Emperor  brought  them  to 
Rome  from  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  where  they  were  successfully 
cultivated. 

GOLDEN  CLUB. 

Orontium  aqiiaticum.     Arum  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  elongated.  Leaves. — Long-stalked,  oblong,  floating. 
Flowers. — Small,  yellow,  crowded  over  the  narrow  spike  or  spadix. 

When  we  go  to  the  bogs  in  May  to  hunt  for  the  purple  flower 
of  the  pitcher-plant  we  are  likely  to  chance  upon  the  well-named 
golden-club.  This  curious-looking  club-shaped  object,  which  is 
found  along  the  borders  of  ponds,  indicates  its  relationship  to  the 
jack-in-the-pulpit,  and  still  more  to  the  calla-lily,  but  unlike 
them  its  tiny  flowers  are  shielded  by  no  protecting  spathe. 

Kalm  tells  us  in  his  "  Travels,"  "  that  the  Indians  called  the 
plant  Taw-Kee,  and  used  its  dried  seeds  as  food." 

126 


YELLOW 


SPEARWORT. 

Ranunculus  ambigens.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Stems.— One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped,  mostly 
toothed,  contracted  into  a  half -clasping  leaf -stalk.  Flowers. — Bright  yel- 
low, solitary  or  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  to 
seven  oblong  petals.  Stamens. — Indefinite  in  number,  occasionally  few. 
Pistils. — Numerous  in  a  head. 

Many  weeks  after  the  marsh  marigolds  have  passed  away,  just 
such  marshy  places  as  they  affected  are  brightly  flecked  with  gold. 
Wondering,  perhaps,  if  they  can  be  flowering  for  the  second 
time  in  the  season,  we  wade  recklessly  into  the  bog  to  rescue, 
not  the  marsh  marigold,  but  its  near  relation,  the  spearwort, 
which  is  still  more  closely  related  to  the  buttercup,  as  a  little 
comparison  of  the  two  flowers  will  show.  This  plant  is  espe- 
cially common  at  the  North. 


INDIAN   CUCUMBER-ROOT. 

Medeola  Virginica.     Lily  Family. 

Root. — Tuberous,  shaped  somewhat  like  a  cucumber,  with  a  suggestion 
of  its  flavor.  Stem. — Slender,  from  one  to  three  feet  high,  at  first  clothed 
with  wool.  Leaves. — In  two  whorls  on  the  flowering  plants,  the  lower  of 
five  to  nine  oblong,  pointed  leaves  set  close  to  the  stem,  the  upper  usually  of 
three  or  four  much  smaller  ones.  Flowers. — Greenish -yellow,  small,  clus- 
tered, recurved,  set  close  to  the  upper  leaves.  Perianth. — Of  three  sepals 
and  three  petals,  oblong  and  alike.  Stamens. — Six,  reddish-brown.  Pis- 
til.— With  three  stigmas,  long,  recurved,  and  reddish-brown.  Fruit. — A 
purple  berry. 

One  is  more  apt  to  pause  in  September  to  note  the  brilliant 
foliage  and  purple  berries  of  this  little  plant  than  to  gather  the 
drooping  inconspicuous  blossoms  for  his  bunch  of  wood-flowers 
in  June.  The  generic  name  is  after  the  sorceress  Medea,  on  ac- 
count of  its  supposed  medicinal  virtues,  of  which,  however,  there 
seems  to  be  no  record. 

The  tuberous  rootstock  has  the  flavor,  and  something  the 
shape,  of  the  cucumber,  and  was  probably  used  as  food  by  the 
Indians.  It  would  not  be  an  uninteresting  study  to  discover 
which  of  our  common  wild  plants  are  able  to  afford  pleasant  and 

127 


YELLOW 

nutritious  food ;  in  such  a  pursuit  many  of  the  otherwise  unat- 
tractive popular  names  would  prove  suggestive. 

COMMON  BLADDERWORT. 

Utricularia  vulgaris.     Bladderwort  Family. 

Stems. — Immersed,  one  to  three  feet  long.  Leaves. — Many-parted, 
hair-like,  bearing  numerous  bladders.  Scape. — Six  to  twelve  inches  long. 
Flowers. — Yellow,  five  to  twelve  on  each  scape.  Calyx. — Two-lipped. 
Corolla. — Two-lipped,  spurred  at  the  base.  Stamens. — Two.  Pistil. — 
One. 

This  curious  water-plant  may  or  may  not  have  roots ;  in 
either  case  it  is  not  fastened  to  the  ground,  but  is  floated  by 
means  of  the  many  bladders  which  are  borne  on  its  finely 
dissected  leaves.  It  is  commonly  found  in  ponds  and  slow 
streams,  flowering  throughout  the  summer.  Thoreau  calls  it  "  a 
dirty-conditioned  flower,  like  a  sluttish  woman  with  a  gaudy 
yellow  bonnet." 

The  horned  bladderwort,  U.  cornuta,  roots  in  the  peat-bogs 
and  sandy  swamps.  Its  large  yellow  helmet-shaped  flowers  are 
very  fragrant,  less  than  half  a  dozen  being  borne  on  each  scape. 

YELLOW  POND-LILY.    SPATTER  DOCK. 

Nuphar  advena.     Water-lily  Family. 

Leaves. — Floating  or  erect,  roundish  to  oblong,  with  a  deep  cleft  at  their 
base.  Flowers. — Yellow,  sometimes  purplish,  large,  somewhat  globular. 
Calyx. — Of  five  or  six  sepals  or  more,  yellow  or  green  without.  Corolla. — 
Of  numerous  small,  thick,  fleshy  petals  which  are  shorter  than  the  stamens 
and  resemble  them.  Stamens. — Very  numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  a 
disk-like,  many-rayed  stigma. 

Bordering  the  slow  streams  and  stagnant  ponds  from  May 
till  August  may  be  seen  the  yellow  pond-lilies.  These  flowers 
lack  the  delicate  beauty  and  fragrance  of  the  white  water-lilies  ; 
having,  indeed,  either  from  their  odor,  or  appearance,  or  the  form 
of  their  fruit,  won  for  themselves  in  England  the  unpoetic  title 
of  "  brandy-bottle."  Owing  to  their  love  of  mud  they  have 
also  been  called  < '  frog-lilies. ' '  The  Indians  used  their  roots 
for  food. 

128 


PLATE  XLI 


Rootstock.  Fruit. 

INDIAN   CUCUMBER-ROOT.— Jf.  Virginiana. 
I29 


YELLOW 


WINTER-CRESS,  YELLOW  ROCKET.    HERB  OF  ST.  BARBARA. 

Bar  bar  ea  vulgaris.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — Smooth.  Leaves. — The  lower  lyre-shaped  ;  the  upper  ovate, 
toothed  or  deeply  incised  at  their  base.  Flowers. — Yellow,  growing  in  ra- 
cemes. Pod.  —  Linear,  erect  or  slightly  spreading. 

As  early  as  May  we  find  the  bright  flowers  of  the  winter- 
cress  along  the  roadside.  This  is  probably  the  first  of  the  yellow 
mustards  to  appear. 

BLACK  MUSTARD. 

Brassica  nigra.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

Often  several  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — The  lower  with 
a  large  terminal  lobe  and  a  few  small  lateral  ones.  Flovvers. — Yellow, 
rather  small,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Pods. — Smooth,  erect,  appressed,  about 
half  an  inch  long. 

Many  are  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  this  plant  who  are 
ignorant  of  its  name.  The  pale  yellow  flowers  spring  from  the 
waste  places  along  the  roadside  and  border  the  dry  fields  through- 
out the  summer.  The  tall  spreading  branches  recall  the  biblical 
description:  "  It  groweth  up,  and  becometh  greater  than  all 
herbs,  and  shooteth  out  great  branches  ;  so  that  the  fowls  of  the 
air  may  lodge  under  the  shadow  of  it." 

This  plant  is  extensively  cultivated  in  Europe,  its  ground 
seeds  forming  the  well-known  condiment.  The  ancients  used  it 
for  medicinal  purposes.  It  has  come  across  the  water  to  us,  and 
is  a  troublesome  weed  in  many  parts  of  the  country. 

WILD  RADISH. 

Raphanus  Raphanistrum.     Mustard  Family  (p.  17). 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rough,  lyre-shaped.  Flowers. — Yel- 
low, veiny,  turning  white  or  purplish  ;  larger  than  those  of  the  black  mus- 
tard, otherwise  resembling  them.  Pod. — Often  necklace-form  by  constric- 
tion between  the  seeds. 

This  plant  is  a  troublesome  weed  in  many  of  our  fields.  It  is 
the  stock  from  which  the  garden  radish  has  been  raised. 


130 


PLATE  XLII 


WINTER-CRESS.—  B.  vulgaris. 


YELLOW 

CYNTHIA.    DWARF  DANDELION. 

Krigia   Virginica.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stems. — Several,  becoming  branched,  leafy.  Leaves. — Earlier  ones 
roundish  ;  the  latter  narrower  and  often  cleft.  Flower-heads. — Yellow, 
composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers.  . 

In  some  parts  of  the  country  these  flowers  are  among  the 
earliest  to  appear.  They  are  found  in  New  England,  as  well  as 
south  and  westward. 

The  flowers  of  K.  amplexicaulis  appear  later,  and  their 
range  is  a  little  farther  south.  Near  Philadelphia  great  masses 
of  the  orange-colored  blossoms  and  pale  green  stems  and  foliage 
line  the  railway  embankments  in  June. 

RATTLESNAKE-WEED. 

Hieracium  venosum.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem  or  Scape. — One  or  two  feet  high,  naked  or  with  a  single  leaf, 
smooth,  slender,  forking  above.  Leaves. — From  the  root,  oblong,  often 
making  a  sort  of  flat  rosette,  usually  conspicuously  veined  with  purple. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow,  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers. 

The  loosely  clustered  yellow  flower-heads  of  the  rattlesnake- 
weed  somewhat  resemble  small  dandelions.  They  abound  in  the 
pine-woods  and  dry,  waste  places  of  early  summer.  The  purple- 
veined  leaves,  whose  curious  markings  give  to  the  plant  its  com- 
mon name,  grow  close  to  the  ground  and  are  supposed  to  be  effi- 
cacious in  rattlesnake  bites.  Here  again  crops  out  the  old 
"  doctrine  of  signatures,"  for  undoubtedly  this  virtue  has  been 
attributed  to  the  species  solely  on  account  of  the  fancied  resem- 
blance between  its  leaves  and  the  markings  of  the  rattlesnake. 

H.  scabrum  is  another  common  species,  which  may  be  distin- 
guished from  the  rattlesnake-weed  by  its  stout,  leafy  stem  and  un- 
veined  leaves. 

DANDELION. 

Taraxacum  officinale.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

If  Emerson's  definition  of  a  weed,  as  a  plant  whose  virtues 
have  not  yet  been  discovered,  be  correct,  we  can  hardly  place  the 
dandelion  in  that  category,  for  its  young  sprouts  have  been  val- 
ued as  a  pot-herb,  its  fresh  leaves  enjoyed  as  a  salad,  and  its 
dried  roots  used  as  a  substitute  for  coffee  in  various  countries  and 


PLATE  XLIII 


RATTLESNAKE-WEED.— 77.  venosum. 
133 


YELLOW 

ages.  It  is  said  that  the  Apache  Indians  so  greatly  relish  it  as 
food,  that  they  scour  the  country  for  many  days  in  order  to  pro- 
cure enough  to  appease  their  appetites,  and  that  the  quantity 
consumed  by  one  individual  exceeds  belief.  The  feathery-tufted 
seeds  which  form  the  downy  balls  beloved  as  "  clocks  "  by  coun- 
try children,  are  delicately  and  beautifully  adapted  to  dissemina- 
tion by  the  wind,  which  ingenious  arrangement  partly  accounts 
for  the  plant's  wide  range.  The  common  name  is  a  corruption 
of  the  French  dent  de  lion.  There  is  a  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  which  part  of  the  plant  is  supposed  to  resemble  a  lion's 
tooth.  Some  fancy  the  jagged  leaves  gave  rise  to  the  name, 
while  others  claim  that  it  refers  to  the  yellow  flowers,  which  they 
liken  to  the  golden  teeth  of  the  heraldic  lion.  In  nearly  every 
European  country  the  plant  bears  a  name  of  similar  signification. 

POVERTY-GRASS. 

Hudsonia  tomentosa.     Rock-rose  Family. 

"Bushy,  heath-like  little  shrubs,  seldom  a  foot  high."  (Gray.)  Leaves. 
—  Small,  oval  or  narrowly  oblong,  pressed  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers.  — 
Bright  yellow,  small,  numerous,  crowded  along  the  upper  part  of  the  branches. 
Calyx.  —  Of  five  sepals,  the  two  outer  much  smaller.  Corolla.  —  Of  five  petals. 
Stamens.  —  Nine  to  thirty.  Pistil.  —  One,  with  a  long  and  slender  style. 

In  early  summer  many  of  the  sand-hills  along  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  are  bright  with  the  yellow  flowers  of  this  hoary  little 
shrub.  It  is  also  found  as  far  south  as  Maryland  and  near  the 
Great  Lakes.  Each  blossom  endures  for  a  single  day  only.  The 
plant's  popular  name  is  due  to  its  economical  habit  of  utilizing 
sandy  unproductive  soil  where  little  else  will  flourish. 

BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE. 

Diervilla  trifida.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

An  upright  shrub  from  one  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves.  —  Opposite,  ob- 
long, taper-pointed.  Flowers.  —  Yellow,  sometimes  much  tinged  with  red, 
clustered  usually  in  threes,  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves  and  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  stem.  Calyx.  —  With  slender  awl-shaped  lobes.  Corolla.  —  Fun- 
nel-form, five-lobed,  the  lower  lobe  larger  than  the  others  and  of  a  deeper 
yellow,  with  a  small  nectar-bearing  gland  at  its  base.  Stamens.  —  Five. 
Pistil.— 


This  pretty  little  shrub  is  found  along  our  rocky  hills  and 
mountains.     The  blossoms  appear  in  early  summer,  and  form  a 

T34 


PLATE  XLIV 


BUSH-HONEYSUCKLE.— D.  trifida. 
135 


YELLOW 

good  example  of  nectar-bearing  flowers.  The  lower  lobe  of 
the  corolla  is  crested  and  more  deeply  colored  than  the  others, 
thus  advising  the  bee  of  secreted  treasure.  The  hairy  filaments 
of  the  stamens  are  so  placed  as  to  protect  the  nectar  from  injury 
by  rain.  When  the  blossom  has  been  despoiled  and  at  the 
same  time  fertilized,  for  the  nectar -seeking  bee  has  probably 
deposited  some  pollen  upon  its  pistil,  the  color  of  the  corolla 
changes  from  a  pale  to  a  deep  yellow,  thus  giving  warning  to 
the  insect-world  that  further  attentions  would  be  useless  to 
both  parties. 

Cow  WHEAT. 

Melampyrum  Americanum.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem.  —  Low,  erect,  branching.  Leaves.  —  Opposite,  lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Small,  greenish-yellow,  solitary  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves. 
Calyx. — Bell-shaped,  four-cleft.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  upper  lip  arched, 
lower  three-lobed  and  spreading  at  the  apex.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — 
One. 

In  the  open  woods,  from  June  until  September,  we  encounter 
the  pale  yellow  flowers  of  this  rather  insignificant  little  plant. 
The  cow  wheat  was  formerly  cultivated  by  the  Dutch  as  food 
for  cattle.  The  Spanish  name,  Trigo  de  Vaca,  would  seem  to 
indicate  a  similar  custom  in  Spain.  The  generic  name,  Me- 
lampyrum,  is  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  black  wheat,  in  refer- 
ence to  the  appearance  of  the  seeds  of  some  species  when  mixed 
with  grain.  The  flower  would  not  be  likely  to  attract  one's 
attention  were  it  not  exceedingly  common  in  some  parts  of  the 
country,  flourishing  especially  in  our  more  eastern  woodlands.. 

MEADOW  LILY.    WILD  YELLOW  LILY. 

Lilium  Canadense.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled,  lance-shaped.  Flow- 
ers.— Yellow,  spotted  with  reddish-brown,  bell-shaped,  two  to  three  inches 
long.  Perianth. — Of  six  recurved  sepals,  with  a  nectar-bearing  furrow  at 
their  base.  Stamens. — Six,  with  anthers  loaded  with  brown  pollen.  Pistil. 
— One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

What  does  the  summer  bring  which  is  more  enchanting  than 
a  sequestered  wood-bordered  meadow  hung  with  a  thousand  of 
these  delicate,  nodding  bells  which  look  as  though  ready  to 

136 


PLATE  XLV 


MEADOW  LILY.— L.  Canadense. 
137 


YELLOW 

tinkle  at  the  least  disturbance  and  sound  an  alarum  among  the 
flowers  ? 

These  too  are  true  "lilies  of  the  field,"  less  gorgeous,  less 
imposing  that  the  Turks'  caps,  but  with  an  unsurpassed  grace  and 
charm  of  their  own.  "  Fairy-caps,"  these  pointed  blossoms  are 
sometimes  called;  "witch-caps,"  would  be  more  appropriate 
still.  Indeed  they  would  make  dainty  headgear  for  any  of  the 
dim  inhabitants  of  Wonder-Land. 

The  growth  of  this  plant  is  very  striking  when  seen  at  its 
best.  The  erect  stem  is  surrounded  with  regular  whorls  of  leaves, 
from  the  upper  one  of  which  curves  a  circle  of  long-stemmed, 
nodding  flowers.  They  suggest  an  exquisite  design  for  a  church 
candelabra. 

PRICKLY  PEAR.    INDIAN  FIG. 

Opuntia  Rafinesqtdi.     Cactus  Family. 

Flowers.  —  Yellow,  large,  two  and  a  half  to  three  and  a  half  inches  across. 
Calyx.  —  Of  numerous  sepals.  Corolla.  —  Of  ten  or  twelve  petals.  Stamens. 
—  Numerous.  Pistil.  —  One,  with  numerous  stigmas.  Fruit.  —  Shaped  like 
a  small  pear,  often  with  prickles  over  its  surface. 

This  curious  looking  plant  is  one  of  the*only  two  representa- 
tives of  the  Cactus  family  in  the  Northeastern  States.  It  has 
deep  green,  fleshy,  prickly,  rounded  joints  and  large  yellow 
flowers,  which  are  often  conspicuous  in  summer  in  dry,  sandy 
places  along  the  coast. 

O.  vulgaris,  the  only  other  species  found  in  Northeastern 
America,  has  somewhat  smaller  flowers,  but  otherwise  so  closely 
resembles  O.  Rafinesquii  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  distinguish 
between  the  two. 

FOUR-LEAVED  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lysimachia  quadrifolia.     Primrose  Family. 

**y  Stem.  —  Slender,    one   or   two    feet   high.      Leaves.  —  Narrowly   oblong, 

whorled  in  fours,  fives,  or  sixes.  Flowers.  —  Yellow,  spotted  or  streaked 
with  red,  on  slender,  hair-like  flower-stalks  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves. 
Calyx.  —  Five  or  six-parted.  Corolla.  —  Very  deeply  five  or  six-parted. 
Stamens.  —  Four  or  five.  Pistil.  —  One. 

This  slender  pretty  plant  grows  along  the  roadsides  and  at- 
tracts one's  notice  in  June  by  its  regular  whorls  of  leaves  and 

\ 


PLATE   XLVI 


FOUR-LEAVED   LOOSESTRIFE.— L.  quadrifolia. 
'39 


YELLOW 

flowers.  Linnaeus  says  that  this  genus  is  named  after  Lysim- 
achus,  King  of  Sicily.  Loosestrife  is  the  English  for  Lysim- 
achus ;  but  whether  the  ancient  superstition  that  the  placing 
of  these  flowers  upon  the  yokes  of  oxen  rendered  the  beasts 
gentle  and  submissive  arose  from  the  peace-suggestive  title  or 
from  other  causes,  I  cannot  discover. 

YELLOW  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Lysimachia  stricta.     Primrose  Family. 

The  yellow  loosestrife  bears  its  flowers,  which  are  similar  to 
those  of  L.  quadrifolia,  in  a  terminal  raceme ;  it  has  opposite 
lance-shaped  leaves.  Its  bright  yellow  clusters  border  the 
streams  and  brighten  the  marshes  from  June  till  August. 

ROCK-ROSE.    FROST-WEED. 

Helianthemum  Canadense.     Rock-rose  Family. 

About  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Set  close  to  the  stem,  simple,  lance- 
oblong.  Flowers. — Of  two  kinds  :  the  earlier,  more  noticeable  ones, 
yellow,  solitary,  about  one  inch  across  ;  the  later  ones  small  and  clustered, 
usually  without  petals.  Calyx. — (Of  the  petal-bearing  flowers)  of  five 
sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  early  falling  petals  which  are  crumpled  in  the 
bud.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

These  fragile  bright  yellow  flowers  are  found  in  gravelly 
places  in  early  summer.  Under  the  influence  of  the  sunshine 
they  open  once;  by  the  next  day  their  petals  have  fallen,  and 
their  brief  beauty  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  On  June  iyth  Thoreau 
finds  this  "  broad,  cup-like  flower,  one  of  the  most  delicate  yellow 
flowers,  with  large  spring-yellow  petals,  and  its  stamens  laid  one 
way. ' ' 

In  the  Vale  of  Sharon  a  nearly  allied  rose-colored  species 
abounds.  This  is  believed  by  some  of  the  botanists  who  have 
travelled  in  that  region  to  be  the  Rose  of  Sharon  which  Solomon 
has  celebrated. 

The  name  of  frost-weed  has  been  given  to  our  plant  because 
of  the  crystals  of  ice  which  shoot  from  the  cracked  bark  at  the 
base  of  the  stem  in  late  autumn. 

140 


PLATE  XLVII 


YELLOW   LOOSESTRIFE.— L.  stricta. 


YELLOW 


Steironema  ciliatum.     Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Erect,  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  narrowly  oval, 
on  fringed  leaf-stalks.  Flowers. — Yellow,  on  slender  stalks  from  the  axils 
of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-parted.  Corolla. — Deeply  five-lobed, 
wheel-shaped,  yellow,  with  a  reddish  centre.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One. 

This  plant  is  nearly  akin  to  the  yellow  loosestrifes,  but  un- 
fortunately it  has  na  English  name.  It  abounds  in  low  grounds 
and  thickets,  putting  forth  its  bright  wheel-shaped  blossoms  early 
in  July. 

COMMON  BARBERRY. 

Berberis  vulgaris.     Barberry  Family. 

A  shrub.  Leaves. — Oblong,  toothed,  in  clusters  from  the  axil  of  a  thorn. 
F towers. — Yellow,  in  drooping  racemes.  Calyx. — Of  six  sepals,  with  from 
two  to  six  bractlets  without.  Corolla. — Of  six  petals.  Stamens. — Six. 
Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — An  oblong  scarlet  berry. 

This  European  shrub  has  now  become  thoroughly  wild  and 
very  plentiful  in  parts  of  New  England.  The  drooping  yellow 
flowers  of  May  and  June  are  less  noticeable  than  the  oblong 
clustered  berries  of  September,  which  light  up  so  many  over- 
grown lanes,  and  often  decorate  our  lawns  and  gardens  as  well. 

The  ancients  extracted  a  yellow  hair-dye  from  the  barberry ; 
and  to-day  it  is  used  to  impart  a  yellow  color  to  wool.  Both  its 
common  and  botanical  names  are  of  Arabic  origin. 

YELLOW  STAR-GRASS. 

Hypoxis  erecta.     Amaryllis  Family. 

Scapes. — Slender,  few -flowered.  Leaves. — Linear,  grass -like,  hairy. 
Flowers. — Yellow.  Perianth. — Six-parted,  spreading,  the  divisions  hairy 
and  greenish  outside,  yellow  within.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

When  our  eyes  fall  upon  what  looks  like  a  bit  of  evening  sky 
set  with  golden  stars,  but  which  proves  to  be  only  a  piece  of 
shaded  turf  gleaming  with  these  pretty  flowers,  we  recall  Long- 
fellow's musical  lines  : 

Spake  full  well  in  language  quaint  and  olden, 

One  who  dwelleth  on  the  castled  Rhine, 
When  he  called  the  flowers  so  blue  and  golden, 

Stars,  which  in  earth's  firmament  do  shine. 

The  plant  grows  abundantly  in  open  woods  and  meadows, 

flowering  in  early  summer. 

142 


PLATE   XLVIII 


YELLOW    STAR-GRASS.— H.  erecta. 


YELLOW 


WILD  INDIGO. 

Baptisia  tinctoria.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Two  or  three  feet  high.  Stems. — Smooth  and  slender.  Leaves. — Di- 
vided into  three  rounded  leaflets,  somewhat  pale  with  a  whitish  bloom,  turn- 
ing black  in  drying.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  yellow,  clustered  in  many 
short,  loose  racemes. 

This  rather  bushy  -  looking,  bright  -  flowered  plant  is  con- 
stantly encountered  in  our  rambles  throughout  the  somewhat  dry 
and  sandy  parts  of  the  country  in  midsummer.  It  is  said  that  it 
is  found  in  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  that  it  has  been 
used  as  a  homoeopathic  remedy  for  typhoid  fever.  Its  young 
shoots  are  eaten  at  times  in  place  of  asparagus.  Both  the  botan- 
ical and  common  names  refer  to  its  having  yielded  an  economi- 
cal but  unsuccessful  substitute  for  indigo. 


YELLOW  CLOVER.    HOP  CLOVER. 

Trifolium  agrarium.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Six  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. —  Divided  into  three  oblong  leaflets. 
Florvers. — Papilionaceous,  yellow,  small,  in  close  heads. 

Although  this  little  plant  is  found  in  such  abundance  along 
our  New  England  roadsides  and  in  many  other  parts  of  the 
country  as  well,  comparatively  few  people  seem  to  recognize  it 
as  a  member  of  the  clover  group,  despite  a  marked  likeness  in 
the  leaves  and  blossoms  to  others  of  the  same  family. 

The  name  clover  probably  originated  in  the  Latin  <r/#z/0-clubs, 
in  reference  to  the  fancied  resemblance  between  the  three- 
pronged  club  of  Hercules  and  the  clover  leaf.  The  clubs  of  our 
playing-cards  and  the  trefle  (trefoil)  of  the  French  are  probably 
an  imitation  of  the  same  leaf. 

The  nonesuch,  Medicago  lupulina,  with  downy,  procumbent 
stems,  and  flowers  which  grow  in  short  spikes,  is  nearly  allied  to 
the  hop  clover.  In  its  reputed  superiority  as  fodder  its  English 
name  is  said  to  have  originated.  Dr.  Prior  says  that  for  many 
years  this  plant  has  been  recognized  in  Ireland  as  the  true  sham- 
rock. 

144 


YELLOW 


DYER'S  GREEN-WEED.    WOOD-WAXEN.    NEW  ENGLAND  WHIN. 

Genista  tinctoria.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

A  shrubby  plant  from   one  to  two  feet  high.     Leaves. — Lance-shaped. 
Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  yellow,  growing  in  spiked  racemes. 

This  is  another  foreigner  which  has  established  itself  in  East- 
ern New  York  and  Massachusetts,  where  it  covers  the  barren 
hill-sides  with  its  yellow  flowers  in  early  summer.  It  is  a  com- 
mon English  plant,  formerly  valued  for  the  yellow  dye  which  it 
yielded.  It  is  an  undesirable  intruder  in  pasture-lands,  as  it  gives 
a  bitter  taste  to  the  milk  of  cows  which  feed  upon  it. 


YELLOW  SWEET  CLOVER.    YELLOW  MELILOT. 

Melilotus  officinalis.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Two  to  four  feet  high.  Stem. — Upright.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
toothed  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  yellow,  growing  in  spike-like 
racemes. 

This  plant  is  often  found  blossoming  along  the  roadsides  in 
early  summer.  It  was  formerly  called  in  England  "  king's- 
clover,"  because,  as  Parkinson  writes,  "the  yellowe  flowers  doe 
crown  the  top  of  the  stalkes."  The  leaves  become  fragrant  in 
drying. 

RATTLEBOX. 

Crotalaria  sagittalis.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Hairy,  three  to  six  inches  high.  Leaves. — Undivided,  oval  or 
lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  .  yellow,  but  few  in  a  cluster. 
Pod. — Inflated,  many-seeded,  blackish. 

The  yellow  flowers  of  the  rattlebox  are  found  in  the  sandy 
meadows  and  along  the  roadsides  during  the  summer.  Both  the 
generic  and  English  names  refer  to  the  rattling  of  the  loose  seeds 
within  the  inflated  pod. 


'45 


YELLOW 


BUTTER-AND-EGGS.      TOADFLAX. 

Linaria  vulgaris.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. —  Smooth,  erect,  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate,  linear 
or  nearly  so.  Flowers. — Of  two  shades  of  yellow,  growing  in  terminal  ra- 
cemes. Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Pale  yellow  tipped  with  orange, 
long-spurred,  two-lipped,  closed  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — 
One. 

The  bright  blossoms  of  butter -and -eggs  grow  in  full,  close 
clusters  which  enliven  the  waste  places  along  the  roadside  so 
commonly,  that  little  attention  is  paid  to  these  beautiful  and  con- 
spicuous flowers.  They  would  be  considered  a  "  pest ' '  if  they  did 
not  display  great  discrimination  in  their  choice  of  locality,  usu- 
ally selecting  otherwise  useless  pieces  of  ground.  The  common 
name  of  butter-and-eggs  is  unusually  appropriate,  for  the  two 
shades  of  yellow  match  perfectly  their  namesakes.  Like  nearly  all 
our  common  weeds,  this  plant  has  been  utilized  in  various  ways  by 
the  country  people.  It  yielded  what  was  considered  at  one  time 
a  valuable  skin  lotion,  while  its  juice  mingled  with  milk  consti- 
tutes a  fly-poison.  Its  generic  name,  Linaria,  and  its  English 
title,  toadflax,  arose  from  a  fancied  resemblance  between  its  leaves 
and  those  of  the  flax. 

WILD  SENNA. 

Cassia  Marilandica.     Pulse  Family. 

Stem. — Three  or  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  from  six  to  nine 
pairs  of  narrowly  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Yellow,  in  short  clusters  from 
the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  slightly 
unequal,  spreading  petals,  usually  somewhat  spotted  with  reddish  brown. 
Stamens. — Five  to  ten,  unequal,  some  of  them  often  imperfect.  Pistil. — 
One.  Pod. — Long  and  narrow,  slightly  curved,  flat. 

This  tall,  striking  plant,  with  clusters  of  yellow  flowers  which 
appear  in  midsummer,  grows  abundantly  along  many  of  the  New 
England  roadsides,  and  also  far  south  and  west,  thriving  best  in 
sandy  soil.  Although  a  member  of  the  Pulse  family  its  blossoms 
are  not  papilionaceous. 


146 


PLATE  XLIX 


BUTTER-AND-EGGS.-L.  vulgaris. 
147 


YELLOW 

PARTRIDGE-PEA. 

Cassia  Chamcecrista.     Pulse  Family. 

Stems. — Spreading,  eight  inches  to  a  foot  long.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
from  ten  to  fifteen  pairs  of  narrow  delicate  leaflets,  which  close  at  night 
and  are  somewhat  sensitive  to  the  touch.  Flowers. — Yellow,  rather  large 
and  showy,  on  slender  stalks  beneath  the  spreading  leaves  ;  not  papiliona- 
ceous. Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded,  spreading, 
somewhat  unequal  petals,  two  or  three  of  which  are  usually  spotted  at  the 
base  with  red  or  purple.  Stamens. — Ten,  unequal,  dissimilar.  Pistil. — 
One,  with  a  slender  style.  Pod. — Flat. 

The  partridge-pea  is  closely  related  to  the  wild  senna,  and  a 
pretty,  delicate  plant  it  is,  with  graceful  foliage,  and  flowers  in 
late  summer  which  surprise  us  with  their  size,  abounding  in 
gravelly,  sandy  places  where  little  else  will  flourish,  brightening 
the  railway  embankments  and  the  road's  edge.  It  is  at  home  all 
over  the  country  south  of  Massachusetts  and  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  but  it  grows  with  a  greater  vigor  and  luxuriance  in 
the  south  than  elsewhere.  The  leaves  can  hardly  be  called  sen- 
sitive to  the  touch,  yet  when  a  branch  is  snapped  from  the 
parent-stem  or  is  much  handled,  the  delicate  leaflets  will  droop 
and  fold,  displaying  their  curious  mechanism. 


COMMON  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

Hyperictim  perforatum.     St.  John's-wort  Family. 

Stem. — Much  branched.  Leaves. — Small,  opposite,  somewhat  oblong, 
with  pellucid  dots.  Flowers. — Yellow,  numerous,  in  leafy  clusters.  Calyx. 
— Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  bright  yellow  petals,  somewhat  spotted 
with  black.  Stamens. — Indefinite  in  number.  Pistil. — One,  with  three 
spreading  styles. 

"  Too  well  known  as  a  pernicious  weed  which  it  is  difficult 
to  extirpate,"  is  the  scornful  notice  which  the  botany  gives  to 
this  plant  whose  bright  yellow  flowers  are  noticeable  in  waste 
fields  and  along  roadsides  nearly  all  summer.  Its  rank,  rapid 
growth  proves  very  exhausting  to  the  soil,  and  every  New  Eng- 
land farmer  wishes  it  had  remained  where  it  rightfully  belongs — 
on  the  other  side  of  the  water. 

Perhaps  more  superstitions  have  clustered  about  the  St.  John's- 
wort  than  about  any  other  plant  on  record.  It  was  formerly 
gathered  on  St.  John's  eve,  and  was  hung  at  the  doors  and  win- 

148 


PLATE  L 


COMMON    ST.  JOHN'S-WORT—  H.  perforatum. 
149 


YELLOW 

dows  as  a  safeguard  against  thunder  and  evil  spirits.  A  belief 
prevailed  that  on  this  night  the  soul  had  power  to  leave  the  body 
and  visit  the  spot  where  it  would  be  finally  summoned  from  its 
earthly  habitation,  hence  the  all-night  vigils  which  were  ob- 
served at  that  time. 

The  wonderful  herb  whose  leaf  will  decide 
If  the  coming  year  shall  make  me  a  bride, 

is  the  St.  John's- wort,  and  the  maiden's  fate  is  favorably  forecast 
by  the  healthy  growth  and  successful  blossoming  of  the  plant 
which  she  has  accepted  as  typical  of  her  future. 

In  early  times  poets  and  physicians  alike  extolled  its  proper- 
ties. An  ointment  was  made  of  its  blossoms,  and  one  of  its  early 
names  was  "  balm-of-the-warrior's-wound."  It  was  considered 
so  efficacious  a  remedy  for  melancholia  that  it  was  termed  ' '  fuga 
daemonum."  Very  possibly  this  name  gave  rise  to  the  general 
idea  that  it  was  powerful  in  dispelling  evil  spirits. 

ST.  ANDREW'S  CROSS. 

Ascyrum  Crux-Andrea.     St.  John's- wort  Family. 

Stem. — Low,  branched.  Leaves. —  Opposite,  narrowly  oblong,  black- 
dotted.  Flowers. — Light-yellow.  Calyx. — Of  four  sepals,  the  two  outer 
broad  and  leaf-like,  the  inner  much  smaller.  Corolla. — Of  four  narrowly 
oblong  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  short  styles. 

From  July  till  September  these  flowers  may  be  found  in  the 
pine-barrens  of  New  Jersey  and  farther  south  and  westward, 
and  on  the  island  of  Nantucket  as  well. 

COMMON  MULLEIN. 

Verbasctim  Thapsus.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Tall  and  stout,  from  three  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Oblong, 
woolly.  Flowers. — In  a  long  dense  spike.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. 
— Yellow,  with  five  slightly  unequal  rounded  lobes.  Stamens. — Ten,  the 
three  upper  with  white  wool  on  their  filaments.  Pistil. — One. 

The  common  mullein  is  a  native  of  the  island  of  Thapsos, 
from  which  it  takes  its  specific  name.  It  was  probably  brought 
to  this  country  from  Europe  by  the  early  colonists,  notwithstand- 
ing the  title  of  "  American  velvet  plant,"  which  it  is  rumored 
to  bear  in  England.  The  Romans  called  it  "candelaria,"  from 


PLATE   LI 


COMMON    MULLEIN.—  V.  Thapsus. 

'51 


YELLOW 

their  custom  of  dipping  the  long  dried  stalk  in  suet  and  using  it 
as  a  funeral  torch,  and  the  Greeks  utilized  the  leaves  for  lamp- 
wicks.  In  more  modern  times  they  have  served  as  a  remedy  for 
the  pulmonary  complaints  of  men  and  beasts  alike,  ' '  mullein  tea  ' ' 
being  greatly  esteemed  by  country  people.  Its  especial  efficacy 
with  cattle  has  earned  the  plant  its  name  of  "  bullocks'  lungwort." 
A  low  rosette  of  woolly  leaves  is  all  that  can  be  seen  of  the 
mullein  during  its  first  year,  the  yellow  blossoms  on  their  long 
spikes  opening  sluggishly  about  the  middle  of  the  second  sum- 
mer. It  abounds  throughout  our  dry,  rolling  meadows,  and  its 
tall  spires  are  a  familiar  feature  in  the  summer  landscape. 

MOTH  MULLEIN. 

Verbasctim  Blattaria.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Tall  and  slender.  Leaves. — Oblong,  toothed,  the  lower  some- 
times lyre-shaped,  the  upper  partly  clasping.  Flowers. — Yellow  or  white, 
tinged  with  red  or  purple,  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Deeply  five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Butterfly-shape,  of  five  rounded,  somewhat  unequal  lobes. 
Stamens. — Five,  with  filaments  bearded  with  violet  wool  and  anthers  loaded 
with  orange-colored  pollen.  Pistil. — One. 

Along  the  highway  from  July  till  October  one  encounters  a 
slender  weed  on  whose  erect  stem  it  would  seem  as  though  a 
number  of  canary-yellow  or  purplish-white  moths  had  alighted 
for  a  moment's  rest.  These  are  the  fragile,  pretty  flowers  of  the 
moth  mullein,  and  they  are  worthy  of  a  closer  examination.  The 
reddened  or  purplish  centre  of  the  corolla  suggests  the  probabil- 
ity of  hidden  nectar,  while  the  pretty  tufts  of  violet  wool  borne 
by  the  stamens  are  well  fitted  to  protect  it  from  the  rain.  A 
little  experience  of  the  canny  ways  of  these  innocent-looking 
flowers  lead  one  to  ask  the  wherefore  of  every  new  feature. 

YELLOW  FRINGED  ORCHIS.    ORANGE  ORCHIS. 

Habenaria  ciliaris.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — Leafy,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — The  lower  oblong  to 
lance-shaped,  the  upper  passing  into  pointed  bracts.  Flowers. — Deep 
orange  color,  with  a  slender  spur  and  deeply  fringed  lip  ;  growing  in  an  ob- 
long spike. 

Years  may  pass  without  our  meeting  this  the  most  brilliant 
of  our  orchids.  Suddenly  one  August  day  we  will  chance  upon 

152 


PLATE  LI  I 


Single  flower,  enlarged. 


YELLOW    FRINGED   ORCHIS.— H.  ciliaris. 
«53 


YELLOW 

just  such  a  boggy  meadow  as  we  have  searched  in  vain  a  hun- 
dred times,  and  will  behold  myriads  of  its  deep  orange,  dome- 
like spires  erecting  themselves  in  radiant  beauty  over  whole  acres 
of  land.  The  separate  flowers,  with  their  long  spurs  and  deeply 
fringed  lips,  will  repay  a  close  examination.  They  are  well  cal- 
culated, massed  in  such  brilliant  clusters,  to  arrest  the  attention 
of  whatever  insects  may  specially  affect  them.  Although  I  have 
watched  many  of  these  plants  I  have  never  seen  an  insect  visit 
one,  and  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  are  fertilized  by  night 
moths. 

Mr.  Baldwin  declares  :  "  If  I  ever  write  a  romance  of  Indian 
life,  my  dusky  heroine,  Birch  Tree  or  Trembling  Fawn,  shall 
meet  her  lover  with  a  wreath  of  this  orchis  on  her  head. ' ' 

JEWEL-WEED.    TOUCH-ME-NOT. 

Geranium  Family. 
Impatiens  pallida.     Pale  Touch-me-not. 

Flowers. — Pale  yellow,  somewhat  spotted  with  reddish-brown  ;  common 
northward. 

Impatiens  fulva.     Spotted  Touch-me-not. 

Flowers. — Orange- yellow,  spotted  with  reddish-brown  ;  common  south- 
vard. 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate,  coarsely  toothed,  oval. 
Flowers. — Nodding,  loosely  clustered,  or  growing  from  the  axils  of  the 
leaves.  Calyx  and  Corolla. — Colored  alike,  and  difficult  to  distinguish  ;  of 
six  pieces,  the  largest  one  extended  backward  into  a  deep  sac  ending  in  a 
little  spur,  the  two  innermost  unequally  two-lobed.  Stamens. — Five,  very 
short,  united  over  the  pistil.  Pistil. — One. 

These  beautiful  plants  are  found  along  shaded  streams  and 
marshes,  and  are  profusely  hung  with  brilliant  jewel-like  flowers 
during  the  summer  months.  In  the  later  year  they  bear  those 
closed  inconspicuous  blossoms  which  fertilize  in  the  bud  and  are 
called  cleistogamous  flowers.  The  jewel-weed  has  begun  to  ap- 
pear along  the  English  rivers,  and  it  is  said  that  the  ordinary 
showy  blossoms  are  comparatively  rare,  while  the  cleistogamous 
ones  abound.  Does  not  this  look  almost  like  a  determination  on 
the  part  of  the  plant  to  secure  a  firm  foothold  in  its  new  envi- 
ronment before  expending  its  energy  on  flowers  which,  though 
radiant  and  attractive,  are  quite  dependent  on  insect-visitors  for 
fertilization  and  perpetuation  ? 

.54 


PLATE  LIU 


PALE   JEWEL-WEED.— I.  pallida. 
'55 


YELLOW 

The  name  touch-me-not  refers  to  the  seed-pods,  which  burst 
open  with  such  violence  when  touched,  as  to  project  their  seeds 
to  a  comparatively  great  distance.  This  ingenious  mechanism 
secures  the  dispersion  of  the  seeds  without  the  aid  of  the  wind  or 
animals.  In  parts  of  New  York  the  plant  is  called  "  silver-leaf," 
from  its  silvery  appearance  when  touched  with  rain  or  dew,  or 
when  held  beneath  the  water. 

AGRIMONY. 

Agrinwnia  Eupatoria.     Rose  Family. 

One  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  several  coarsely  toothed 
leaflets.  Flowers. — Small,  yellow,  in  slender  spiked  racemes.  Calyx. — 
Five-cleft,  beset  with  hooked  teeth.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — 
Five  to  fifteen.  Pistils. — One  to  four. 

The  slender  yellow  racemes  of  the  agrimony  skirt  the  woods 
throughout  the  later  summer.  In  former  times  the  plant  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  town  physician  and  country  herbalist 
alike.  Emerson  longed  to  know 

Only  the  herbs  and  simples  of  the  wood, 
Rue,  cinquefoil,  gill,  vervain,  and  agrimony. 

.Up  to  a  recent  date  the  plant  has  been  dried  and  preserved  by 
country  people  and  might  be  seen  exposed  for  sale  in  the  shops 
of  French  villages.  It  has  also  been  utilized  in  a  dressing  for 
shoe-leather.  When  about  to  flower  it  yields  a  pale  yellow  dye. 
Chaucer  calls  it  egremoine.  The  name  is  supposed  to  be 
derived  from  the  Greek  title  for  an  eye-disease,  for  which  the 
juice  of  a  plant  similarly  entitled  was  considered  efficacious. 
The  crushed  flower  yields  a  lemon-like  odor. 

YELLOW  WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  stricta.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Erect.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  delicate  clover-like  leaflets. 
Flowers. — Golden-yellow.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five 
petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles. 

All  summer  the  small  flowers  of  the  yellow  wood  sorrel  show 
brightly  against  their  background  of  delicate  leaves.  The  plant 

156  , 


YELLOW 

varies  greatly  in  its  height  and  manner  of  growth,  flourishing 
abundantly  along  the  roadsides.  The  small  leaflets  are  open  to 
the  genial  influence  of  sun  and  air  during  the  hours  of  daylight, 
but  at  night  they  protect  themselves  from  chill  by  folding  one 
against  another. 

SUNDROPS. 

• 

QLnothera  fruticosa.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

This  is  a  day-blooming  species  of  the  evening  primrose,  with 
large,  pale  yellow  blossoms  and  alternate  oblong  or  narrowly 
lance-shaped  leaves,  and  of  a  much  less  rank  habit.  In  early 
summer  our  roadsides  are  illuminated  with  these  flowers. 

CEnothera  pumila  is  also  a  diurnal  species.  Its  loosely  spiked 
blossoms  are  much  smaller  than  those  of  the  sundrops. 

EVENING  PRIMROSE. 

(Enothcra  biennis.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stout,  erect,  one  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate,  lance-shaped  to 
oblong.  Floivers. — Pale  yellow,  in  a  leafy  spike,  opening  at  night.  Calyx. 
— With  a  long  tube,  four-lobed.  Corolla. — Of  four  somewhat  heart-shaped 
petals.  Stamens. — Eight,  with  long  anthers.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  stigma 
divided  into  four  linear  lobes. 

Along  the  roadsides  in  midsummer  we  notice  a  tall,  rank- 
growing  plant,  which  seems  chiefly  to  bear  buds  and  faded  blos- 
soms. And  unless  we  are  already  familiar  with  the  owl-like  ten- 
dencies of  the  evening  primrose,  we  are  surprised,  some  dim 
twilight,  to  find  this  same  plant  resplendent  with  a  mass  of  frag- 
ile yellow  flowers,  which  are  exhaling  their  faint  delicious  fra- 
grance on  the  evening  air. 

One  brief  summer  night  exhausts  the  vitality  of  these  delicate 
blossoms.  The  faded  petals  of  the  following  day  might  serve  as 
a  text  for  a  homily  against  all-night  dissipation,  did  we  not 
know  that  by  its  strange  habit  the  evening  primrose  guards 
against  the  depredations  of  those  myriad  insects  abroad  during 
the  day,  which  are  unfitted  to  transmit  its  pollen  to  the  pistil  of 
another  flower. 

We  are  impressed  by  the  utilitarianism  in  vogue  in  this  floral 


YELLOW 

world,  as  we  note  that  the  pale  yellow  of  these  blossoms  gleams 
so  vividly  through  the  darkness  as  to  advertise  effectively  their 
whereabouts,  while  their  fragrance  serves  as  a  mute  invitation 
to  the  pink  night-moth,  which  is  their  visitor  and  benefactor. 
Why  they  change  their  habits  in  the  late  year  and  remain  open 
during  the  day,  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover. 

% 

HORSE  BALM.    RICH-WEED.    STONE-ROOT. 

Collinsonia  Canadensis.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  large,  ovate,  toothed, 
pointed.  Flowers. — Yellowish,  lemon-scented,  clustered  loosely.  Calyx. — 
Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  three-toothed,  the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Elongated,  somewhat  two-lipped,  the  four  upper  lobes  nearly  equal,  the 
lower  large  and  long,  toothed  or  fringed.  Stamens. — Two  (sometimes  four, 
the  upper  pair  shorter),  protruding,  diverging.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two- 
lobed  style. 

In  the  damp  rich  woods  of  midsummer  these  strong-scented 
herbs,  with  their  loose  terminal  clusters  of  lemon-colored,  lemon- 
scented  flowers  are  abundant.  The  plant  was  introduced  into 
England  by  the  amateur  botanist  and  flower-lover,  Collinson, 
after  whom  the  species  is  named.  The  Indians  formerly  em- 
ployed it  as  an  application  to  wounds. 


BLACK-EYED  SUSAN.    CONE-FLOWER. 

Rtidbeckia  hirta.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Stout  and  hairy,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rough  and 
hairy,  the  upper  long,  narrow,  set  close  to  the  stem  ;  the  lower  broader, 
with  leaf-stalks.  Flower -heads. — Composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers  ; 
the  former  yellow,  the  latter  brown  and  arranged  on  a  cone-like  receptacle. 

By  the  middle  of  July  our  dry  meadows  are  merry  with 
black-eyed  Susans,  which  are  laughing  from  every  corner  and 
keeping  up  a  gay  midsummer  carnival  in  company  with  the 
yellow  lilies  and  brilliant  milkweeds.  They  seem  to  revel  in 
the  long  days  of  blazing  sunlight,  and  are  veritable  salamanders 
among  the  flowers.  Although  now  so  common  in  our  eastern 
fields  they  were  first  brought  to  us  with  clover-seed  from  the 

158 


PLATE  LIV 


EVENING   PRIMROSE.— (E.  biennis. 


YELLOW 


West,  and  are  not  altogether  acceptable  guests,  as  they  bid  fair 
to  add  another  anxiety  to  the  already  harassed  life  of  the  New 
England  farmer. 


Rudbeckia  laciniata.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Two  to  seven  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth,  branching.  Leaves. — The 
lower  divided  into  lobed  leaflets,  the  upper  irregularly  three  to  five-parted. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow,  rather  large,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers, 
the  former  drooping  and  yellow,  the  later  dull  greenish  and  arranged  on  a 
columnar  receptacle. 

This  graceful,  showy  flower  is  even  more  decorative  than  the 
black-eyed  Susan.  Its  drooping  yellow  rays  are  from  one  to 
two  inches  long.  It  may  be  found  throughout  the  summer  in 
the  low  thickets  which  border  the  swamps  and  meadows. 


GOLDEN  ASTER. 

Chrysopsis  Mariana.     Composite  Family  (  p.  13). 

Stem. — Silky,  with  long  weak  hairs  when  young.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
oblong.  Flower-heads. — Golden-yellow,  rather  large,  composed  of  both  ray 
and  disk-flowers. 

In  dry  places  along  the  roadsides  of  Southern  New  York  and 
farther  south,  one  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  in  late  summer  and 
autumn  the  bright  clusters  of  the  golden  aster. 

C.  falcata  is  a  species  which  may  be  found  in  dry  sandy  soil 
as  far  north  as  Massachusetts,  with  very  woolly  stems,  crowded 
linear  leaves,  and  small,  clustered  flower-heads. 


GOLDEN-ROD. 

Solidago.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 
Flower-heads. — Golden-yellow,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

About  eighty  species  of  golden -rod  are  native  to  the  United 
States :  of  these  forty-two  species  can  be  found  in  our  North- 
eastern States.  Many  of  them  are  difficult  of  identification,  and 
it  would  be  useless  to  describe  any  but  a  few  of  the  more  con- 
spicuous forms. 

160 


PLATE    LV 


BLACK-EYED    SUSAN.— R.  hirta. 
161 


YELLOW 

A  common  and  noticeable  species  which  flowers  early  in 
August  is  S.  Canadensis,  with  a  tall  stout  stem  from  three  to 
six  feet  high,  lance-shaped  leaves,  which  are  usually  sharply 
toothed  and  pointed,  and  small  flower-heads  clustered  along  the 
branches  which  spread  from  the  upper  part  of  the  stem. 

Another  early  flowering  species  is  S.  rugosa.  This  is  a  lower 
plant  than  S.  Canadensis,  with  broader  leaves.  Still  another  is 
the  dusty  golden -rod,  S.  nemoralis,  which  has  a  hoary  aspect 
and  very  bright  yellow  flowers  which  are  common  in  dry  fields. 

S.  lanceolata  has  lance-shaped  or  linear  leaves,  and  flowers 
which  grow  in  flat-topped  clusters,  unlike  other  members  of  the 
family ;  the  information  that  this  is  a  golden-rod  often  creates 
surprise,  as  for  some  strange  reason  it  seems  to  be  confused  with 
the  tansy. 

The  sweet  golden-rod,  S.  odorata,  is  easily  recognized  by 
its  fragrant,  shining,  dotted  leaves.  S.  ccesia,  or  the  blue- 
stemmed,  is  a  wood-species  and  among  the  latest  of  the  year, 
putting  forth  its  bright  clusters  for  nearly  the  whole  length  of 
its  stem  long  after  many  of  its  brethren  look  like  brown  wraiths 
of  their  former  selves.  The  silver  rod,  S.  bicolor,  whose  whit- 
ish flowers  are  a  departure  from  the  family  habit,  also  survives 
the  early  cold  and  holds  its  own  in  the  dry  woods. 

The  only  species  native  to  Great  Britain  is  S.   Virga-aurea. 

The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  which  signify  to 
make  whole,  and  refer  to  the  healing  properties  which  have  been 
attributed  to  the  genus. 

ELECAMPANE. 

Inula  Helenium.      Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Stout,  three  to  five  feet  high.     Leaves. — Alternate,  large,  woolly 
leath,    the  upper  partly  clasping 
posed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 


O       *  O      '  J 

beneath,    the  upper  partly  clasping.     Flower-heads. — Yellow,   large,   corn- 
id  disk-f 


When  we  see  these  great  yellow  disks  peeping  over  the  past- 
ure walls  or  flanking  the  country  lanes,  we  feel  that  midsummer 
is  at  its  height.  Flowers  are  often  subservient  courtiers,  and 
make  acknowledgment  of  whatever  debt  they  owe  by  that 
subtlest  of  flatteries — imitation.  Did  not  the  blossoms  of  the 

162 


PLATE  LVI 


ELECAMPANE.—/.  Selenium. 


YELLOW 

dawning  year  frequently  wear  the  livery  of  the  snow  which  had 
thrown  its  protecting  mantle  over  their  first  efforts  ?  And  these 
newcomers — whose  gross,  rotund  countenances  so  clearly  betray 
the  results  of  high  living — do  not  they  pay  their  respects  to  their 
great  benefactor  after  the  same  fashion  ? — with  the  result  that  a 
myriad  miniature  suns  shine  upward  from  meadow  and  roadside. 

The  stout,  mucilaginous  root  of  this  plant  is  valued  by  farm- 
ers as  a  horse-medicine,  especially  in  epidemics  of  epizootic,  one 
of  its  common  names  in  England  being  horse-heal. 

In  ancient  times  the  elecampane  was  considered  an  impor- 
tant stimulant  to  the  human  brain  and  stomach,  and  it  was  men- 
tioned as  such  in  the  writings  of  Hippocrates,  the  "  Father  of 
Medicine,"  over  two  thousand  years  ago. 

The  common  name  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  ala 
campania,  and  refers  to  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  plant  in 
that  ancient  province  of  Southern  Italy. 

FALL  DANDELION. 

Leontodon  autumnalis.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Scape. — Five  to  fifteen  inches  high,  branching.  Leaves. — From  the  root, 
toothed  or  deeply  incised.  Flower-heads. — Yellow,  composed  entirely  of 
strap-shaped  flowers  ;  smaller  than  those  of  the  common  dandelion. 

From  June  till  November  we  find  the  fall  dandelion  along 
the  New  England  roadsides,  as  well  as  farther  south.  While 
the  yellow  flower-heads  somewhat  suggest  small  dandelions  the 
general  habit  of  the  plant  recalls  some  of  the  hawkweeds. 

WILD  SUNFLOWER. 

Helianthus  gigantcus.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Rough  or  hairy,  from  three  to  ten  feet  high,  branched  above. 
Leaves. — Lance-shaped,  pointed,  rough  to  the  touch,  set  close  to  the  stem. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow,  composed  of  both  ray  and  disk-flowers. 

In  late  summer  many  of  our  lanes  are  hedged  by  this  beauti- 
ful plant,  which,  like  other  members  of  its  family,  lifts  its  yellow 
flowers  sunward  in  pale  imitation  of  the  great  lifegiver  itself. 
We  have  twenty-two  different  species  of  sunflower.  If.  divari- 


PLATE  LVII 


WILD   SUNFLOWER.— H.  giganteus. 
I65 


YELLOW 

catus  is  of  a  lower  growth,  with  opposite,  widely  spreading  leaves 
and  larger  flower-heads.  H.  annum  is  the  garden  species  famil- 
iar to  all  j  this  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  Peru.  Mr.  Ellwanger 
writes  regarding  it :  "In  the  mythology  of  the  ancient  Peruvi- 
ans it  occupied  an  important  place,  and  was  employed  as  a 
mystic  decoration  in  ancient  Mexican  sculpture.  Like  the  lotus 
of  the  East,  it  is  equally  a  sacred  and  an  artistic  emblem,  figur- 
ing in  the  symbolism  of  Mexico  and  Peru,  where  the  Spaniards 
found  it  rearing  its  aspiring  stalk  in  the  fields,  and  serving  in 
the  temples  as  a  sign  and  a  decoration,  the  sun-god's  officiating 
handmaidens  wearing  upon  their  breasts  representations  of  the 
sacred  flower  in  beaten  gold." 

Gerarde  describes  it  as  follows:  "The  Indian  Sun  or  the 
golden  floure  of  Peru  is  a  plant  of  such  stature  and  talnesse  that 
in  one  Sommer,  being  sowne  of  a  seede  in  April,  it  hath  risen  up 
to  the  height  of  fourteen  foot  in  my  garden,  where  one  floure 
was  in  weight  three  pound  and  two  ounces,  and  crosse  over- 
thwart  the  floure  by  measure  sixteen  inches  broad." 

The  generic  name  is  from  helios — the  sun,  and  anthos — a 
flower. 

SNEEZEWEED.    SWAMP  SUNFLOWER. 

Helenium  autumnale.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

One  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Angled,  erect,  branching.  Leaves. — Al- 
ternate, lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Yellow,  composed  of  both  ray  and 
disk-flowers,  the  rays  being  somewhat  cleft. 

As  far  north  as  Connecticut  we  see  masses  of  these  bright 
flowers  bordering  the  streams  and  swamps  in  September. 

STICK-TIGHT.    BUR  MARIGOLD,  BEGGAR-TICKS. 

Bidens  frondosa.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Two  to  six  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Opposite,  three  to 
five-divided.  Flower-heads. — Consisting  of  brownish -yellow  tubular  flowers, 
with  a  leaf -like  involucre  beneath. 

If  one  were  only  describing  the  attractive  wild  flowers,  the 
stick-tight  would  certainly  be  omitted,  as  its  appearance  is  not 
prepossessing,  and  the  small  barbed  seed-vessels  so  cleverly  fulfil 

166 


PLATE   LVIII 


Barbed  fruit. 


STICK-TIGHT.— B.  frondosa. 
I67 


YELLOW 

their  destiny  in  making  one's  clothes  a  means  of  conveyance  to 
1  ( fresh  woods  and  pastures  new "  as  to  cause  all  wayfarers 
heartily  to  detest  them.  "  How  surely  the  desmodium  growing 
on  some  cliff -side,  or  the  bidens  on  the  edge  of  a  pool,  prophesy 
the  coming  of  the  traveller,  brute  or  human,  that  will  transport 
their  seeds  on  his  coat,"  writes  Thoreau.  But  the  plant  is  so 
constantly  encountered  in  late  summer,  and  yet  so  generally  un- 
known, that  it  can  hardly  be  overlooked. 

The  larger  bur  marigold,  B.  chrysanthemoides,  does  its  best 
to  retrieve  the  family  reputation  for  ugliness,  and  surrounds  its 
dingy  disk-flowers  with  a  circle  of  showy  golden  rays  which 
are  strictly  decorative,  having  neither  pistils  nor  stamens,  and 
leaving  all  the  work  of  the  household  to  the  less  attractive  but 
more  useful  disk-flowers.  Their  effect  is  pleasing,  and  late  into 
the  autumn  the  moist  ditches  look  as  if  sown  with  gold  through 
their  agency.  The  plant  varies  in  height  from  six  inches  to  two 
feet.  Its  leaves  are  opposite,  lance-shaped,  and  regularly  toothed. 

SMOOTH  FALSE  FOXGLOVE. 

Gerardia  quercifolia.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth,  three  to  six  feet  high,  usually  branching.  Leaves. — The 
lower  usually  deeply  incised,  the  upper  narrowly  oblong,  incised,  or  entire. 
Flowers. — Yellow,  large,  in  a  raceme  or  spike.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Co- 
rolla.— Two  inches  long,  somewhat  tubular,  swelling  above,  with  five  more 
or  less  unequal,  spreading  lobes,  woolly  within.  Stamens. — Four,  in  pairs, 
woolly.  Pistil. — One. 

These  large  pale  yellow  flowers  are  very  beautiful  and  strik- 
ing when  seen  in  the  dry  woods  of  late  summer.  They  are  all 
the  more  appreciated  because  there  are  few  flowers  abroad  at 
this  season  save  the  Composites,  which  are  decorative  and  radiant 
enough,  but  usually  somewhat  lacking  in  the  delicate  charm  we 
look  for  in  a  flower. 

The  members  of  this  genus,  which  is  named  after  Gerarde, 
the  author  of  the  famous  "  Her  ball,"  are  supposed  to  be  more 
or  less  parasitic  in  their  habits,  drawing  their  nourishment  from 
the  roots  of  other  plants. 

The  downy  false  foxglove,  G.  flava,  is  usually  a  somewhat 

1 68 


PLATE  LIX 


SMOOTH   FALSE    FOXGLOVE.— G.  quercifolia. 
169 


YELLOW 

lower  plant,  with  a  close  down,  a  less-branched  stem,  more  en- 
tire leaves,  and  smaller,  similar  flowers. 

TANSY. 

Tanacetum  vulgare.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  toothed  leaflets. 
Flower-heads. — Yellow,  composed  of  tiny  flowers  which  are  nearly,  if  not 
all,  tubular  in  shape  ;  borne  in  flat-topped  clusters. 

With  the  name  of  tansy  we  seem  to  catch  a  whiff  of  its 
strong-scented  breath  and  a  glimpse  of  some  New  England 
homestead  beyond  whose  borders  it  has  strayed  to  deck  the 
roadside  with  its  deep  yellow,  flat-topped  flower-clusters.  The 
plant  has  been  used  in  medicine  since  the  Middle  Ages,  and  in 
more  recent  times  it  has  been  gathered  by  the  country  people 
for  "  tansy  wine"  and  "tansy  tea."  In  the  Roman  Church 
it  typifies  the  bitter  herbs  which  were  to  be  eaten  at  the  Paschal 
season ;  and  cakes  made  of  eggs  and  its  leaves  are  called  "  tan- 
sies," and  eaten  during  Lent.  It  is  also  frequently  utilized  in 
more  secular  concoctions. 

The  common  name  is  supposed  to  be  a  corruption  of  the 
Greek  word  for  immortality. 

WITCH-HAZEL. 

Hamamelis  Virginiana.     Witch-hazel  Family. 

A  tall  shrub.  Leaves. — Oval,  wavy-toothed,  mostly  falling  before  the 
flowers  appear.  Flowers. — Honey-yellow,  clustered,  autumnal.  Calyx. — 
Four-parted.  Corolla. — Of  four  long  narrow  petals.  Stamens. — Eight. 
Pistils. — Two.  Fruit. — A  capsule  which  bursts  elastically,  discharging  its 
large  seeds  with  vigor. 

It  seems  as  though  the  flowers  of  the  witch-hazel  were  fairly 
entitled  to  the  "booby-prize,"  of  the  vegetable  world.  Surely 
no  other  blossoms  make  their  first  appearance  so  invariably  late 
upon  the  scene  of  action.  The  fringed  gentian  often  begins  to 
open  its  "meek  and  quiet  eye"  quite  early  in  September. 
Certain  species  of  golden-rod  and  aster  continue  to  flower  till 
late  in  the  year,  but  they  began  putting  forth  their  bright  clus- 
ters before  the  summer  was  fairly  over ;  while  the  elusively  fra- 

170 


PLATE  LX 


TANSY.— T.  vulgare. 
171 


YELLOW 

grant,  pale  yellow  blossoms  of  the  witch-hazel  need  hardly  be 
expected  till  well  on  in  September,  when  its  leaves  have  fluttered 
earthward  and  its  fruit  has  ripened.  Does  the  pleasure  which 
we  experience  at  the  spring-like  apparition  of  this  leafless  yellow- 
flowered  shrub  in  the  autumn  woods  arise  from  the  same  de- 
praved taste  which  is  gratified  by  strawberries  at  Christmas,  I 
wonder  ?  Or  is  it  that  in  the  midst  of  death  we  have  a  fore- 
taste of  life ;  a  prophecy  of  the  great  yearly  resurrection  which 
even  now  we  may  anticipate? 

Thoreau's  tastes  in  such  directions  were  certainly  not  de- 
praved, and  he  writes:  "The  witch-hazel  loves  a  hill-side  with 
or  without  woods  or  shrubs.  It  is  always  pleasant  to  come  upon 
it  unexpectedly  as  you  are  threading  the  woods  in  such  places. 
Methinks  I  attribute  to  it  some  elfish  quality  apart  from  its  fame. 
I  love  to  behold  its  gray  speckled  stems."  Under  another  date 
he  writes :  "  Heard  in  the  night  a  snapping  sound,  and  the  fall 
of  some  small  body  on  the  floor  from  time  to  time.  In  the 
morning  I  found  it  was  produced  by  the  witch-hazel  nuts  on  my 
desk  springing  open  and  casting  their  seeds  quite  across  my 
chamber,  hard  and  stony  as  these  nuts  were. ' ' 

The  Indians  long  ago  discovered  the  value  of  its  bark  for  me- 
dicinal purposes,  and  it  is  now  utilized  in  many  well-known 
extracts.  The  forked  branches  formerly  served  as  divining-rods 
in  the  search  for  water  and  precious  ores.  This  belief  in  its 
mysterious  power  very  possibly  arose  from  its  suggestive  title, 
which  Dr.  Prior  says  should  be  spelled  wy^-hazel,  as  it  was 
called  after  the  wych-elm,  whose  leaves  it  resembles,  and  which 
was  so  named  because  the  chests  termed  in  old  times  "  wyches  " 
were  made  of  its  wood — 

His  hall  rofe  was  full  of  bacon  flytches, 
The  chambre  charged  was  with  wyches 
Full  of  egges,  butter,  and  chese.* 

NOTE. — The  flowers  of  the  American  Woodbine  and   of   the   Fly  Honey- 
suckle (p.  228),  and  of  the  Golden  Corydalis  (p.  192)  are  also  yellow. 
*  Hazlitt's  Early  Popular  Poetry. 


172 


HI 
PINK 

TRAILING  ARBUTUS.    MAYFLOWER.    GROUND  LAUREL. 

Epigaia  repens.     Heath  Family. 

Stem. —  With  rusty  hairs,  prostrate  or  trailing.  Leaves. — Rounded, 
heart-shaped  at  base,  evergreen.  Flowers.  — Pink,  clustered,  fragrant. 
Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Five-lobed,  salver-shaped,  with  a  slender 
tube  which  is  hairy  within.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  five- 
lobed  stigma. 

Pink,  small,  and  punctual, 
Aromatic,  low, 

describes,  but  does  scant  justice  to  the  trailing  arbutus,  whose 
waxy  blossoms  and  delicious  breath  are  among  the  earliest 
prophecies  of  perfume-laden  summer.  We  look  for  these  flowers 
in  April — not  beneath  the  snow — where  tradition  rashly  locates 
them — but  under  the  dead  brown  leaves  of  last  year;  and 
especially  among  the  pines  and  in  light  sandy  soil.  Appearing 
as  they  do  when  we  are  eager  for  some  tangible  assurance  that 

— the  Spring  comes  slowly  up  this  way, 

they  win  from  many  of  us  the  gladdest  recognition  of  the  year. 
In  New  England  they  are  called  Mayflowers,  being  peddled 
about  the  streets  of  Boston  every  spring,  under  the  suggestive 
and  loudly  emphasized  title  of  "  Ply-y-mouth  Ma-ayflowers !  " 
Whether  they  owe  this  name  to  the  ship  which  is  responsible 
for  so  much,  or  to  their  season  of  blooming,  in  certain  localities, 
might  remain  an  open  question  had  we  not  the  authority  of 
Whittier  for  attributing  it  to  both  causes.  In  a  note  prefacing 
"The  Mayflowers,"  the  poet  says:  "The  trailing  arbutus  or 
Mayflower  grows  abundantly  in  the  vicinity  of  Plymouth,  and 


PINK 


was  the  first   flower   to   greet   the   Pilgrims  after  their   fearful 
winter. ' '    In  the  poem  itself  he  wonders  what  the  old  ship  had 

Within  her  ice-rimmed  bay 
In  common  with  the  wild-wood  flowers, 
The  first  sweet  smiles  of  May  ? 

and  continues — 

Yet  "  God  be  praised  !  "  the  Pilgrim  said, 

Who  saw  the  blossoms  peer 
Above  the  brown  leaves,  dry  and  dead, 

"  Behold  our  Mayflower  here  !  " 

God  wills  it,  here  our  rest  shall  be, 

Our  years  of  wandering  o'er, 
For  us  the  Mayflower  of  the  sea 

Shall  spread  her  sails  no  more. 

O  sacred  flowers  of  faith  and  hope, 

As  sweetly  now  as  then, 
Ye  bloom  on  many  a  birchen  slope, 

In  many  a  pine-dark  glen. 

So  live  the  fathers  in  their  sons, 

Their  sturdy  faith  be  ours, 
And  ours  the  love  that  overruns 

Its  rocky  strength  with  flowers. 

If  the  poet's  fancy  was  founded  on  fact,  and  if  our  lovely  and 
widespread  Mayflower  was  indeed  the  first  blossom  noted  and 
christened  by  our  forefathers,  it  seems  as  though  the  problem  of 
a  national  flower  must  be  solved  by  one  so  lovely  and  historic  as 
to  silence  all  dispute.  And  when  we  read  the  following  prophet- 
ic stanzas  which  close  the  poem,  showing  that  during  another 
dark  period  in*our  nation's  history  these  brave  little  blossoms, 
struggling  through  the  withered  leaves,  brought  a  message  of 
hope  and  courage  to  the  heroic  heart  of  the  Quaker  poet,  our 
feeling  that  they  are  peculiarly  identified  with  our  country's 
perilous  moments  is  intensified  : 

The  Pilgrim's  wild  and  wintry  day 

At  shadow  round  us  draws  ; 
The  Mayflower  of  his  stormy  bay 

Our  Freedom's  struggling  cause. 

But  warmer  suns  erelong  shall  bring 

To  life  the  frozen  sod  ; 
And,  through  dead  leaves  of  hope  shall  spring 

Afresh  the  flowers  of  God  ! 
174 


PLATE   LXI 


TRAILING   ARBUTUS.—  E.  repens. 

TWIN-FLOWER.— L.  borealis. 

'75 


PINK 


TWIN-FLOWER. 

Linncca  borealis.      Honeysuckle  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  creeping  and  trailing.  Leaves. — Rounded,  shining  and 
evergreen.  Flowers. — Growing  in  pairs,  delicate  pink,  fragrant,  nodding 
on  thread-like,  upright  flower-stalks.-  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — 
Narrowly  bell-shaped,  five-lobed,  hairy  within.  Stamens. — Four,  two  shorter 
than  the  others.  Pistil. — One. 

Whoever  has  seen 

— beneath  dim  aisles,  in  odorous  beds, 
The  slight  Linnaea  hang  its  twin-born  heads  * 

will  not  soon  forget  the  exquisite  carpeting  made  by  its  nodding 
pink  flowers  and  dark  shining  leaves ;  or  the  delicious  perfume 
which  actually  filled  the  air  and  drew  one's  attention  to  the  spot 
from  which  it  was  exhaled,  tempting  one  to  exclaim  with  Richard 
Jefferies,  "  Sweetest  of  all  things  is  wild-flower  air  !  "  That  this 
little  plant  should  have  been  selected  as  "  the  monument  of  the 
man  of  flowers"  by  the  great  Linnaeus  himself,  bears  testimony 
to  his  possession  of  that  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  which  is 
supposed  to  be  lacking  in  men  of  long  scientific  training.  I  be- 
lieve that  there  is  extant  at  least  one  contemporary  portrait  of 
Linnaeus  in  which  he  wears  the  tiny  flowers  in  his  buttonhole. 
The  rosy  twin-blossoms  are  borne  on  thread-like,  forking  flower- 
stalks,  and  appear  in  June  in  the  deep,  cool,  mossy  woods  of  the 
North. 

SHOWY  ORCHIS. 

Orchis  spectabilis.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Stem. — Four-angled,  with  leaf -like  bracts,  rising  from  fleshy,  fibrous 
roots.  Leaves. — Two,  oblong,  shining,  three  to  six  inches  long.  Flowers. 
— In  a  loose  spike,  purple-pink,  the  lower  lip  white. 

This  flower  not  only  charms  us  with  its  beauty  when  its 
clusters  begin  to  dot  the  rich  May  woods,  but  interests  us  as 
being  usually  the  first  member  of  the  Orchis  family  to  appear 
upon  the  scene ;  although  it  is  claimed  in  certain  localities  that 
the  beautiful  Calypso  always,  and  the  Indian  moccason  occasion- 
ally, precedes  it. 

*  Emerson. 
176 


PLATE    LXII 


SHOWY  ORCHIS.— 0.  spectabilis. 

177 


PINK 


A  certain  fascination  attends  the  very  name  of  orchid.  Bot- 
anist and  unscientific  flower-lover  alike  pause  with  unwonted  in- 
terest when  the  discovery  of  one  is  announced.  With  the  former 
there  is  always  the  possibility  of  finding  some  rare  species,  while 
the  excitement  of  the  latter  is  apt  to  be  whetted  with  the  hope 
of  beholding  a  marvellous  imitation  of  bee  or  butterfly  fluttering 
from  a  mossy  branch  with  roots  that  draw  their  nourishment 
from  the  air  !  While  this  little  plant  is  sure  to  fail  of  satisfying 
the  hopes  of  either,  it  is  far  prettier  if  less  rare  than  many  of  its 
brethren,  and  its  interesting  mechanism  will  repay  our  patient 
study.  It  is  said  closely  to  resemble  the  "long  purples,"  O. 
mascula,  which  grew  near  the  scene  of  Ophelia's  tragic  death. 

TWISTED  STALK. 

Streptoptts  roscus.     Lily  Family. 

Stems. — Rather  stout  and  zigzag,  forking  and  diverging.  Leaves. — 
Taper-pointed,  slightly  clasping.  Flowers. — Dull  purplish-pink,  hanging  on 
thread-like  flower-stalks  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Perianth. — Some- 
what bell-shaped,  of  six  distinct  sepals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One, 
with  a  three-cleft  stigma. 

This  plant  presents  a  graceful  group  of  forking  branches  and 
pointed  leaves.  No  blossom  is  seen  from  above,  but  on  pick- 
ing a  branch  one  finds  beneath  each  of  its  outspread  leaves  one 
or  two  slender,  bent  stalks  from  which  hang  the  pink,  bell-like 
flowers.  In  general  aspect  the  plant  somewhat  resembles  its 
relations,  the  Solomon's  seal,  with  which  it  is  found  blossoming 
in  the  woods  of  May  or  June.  The  English  title  is  a  translation 
of  the  generic  name,  Streptopus. 

WILD  PINK. 

Silene  Pennsylvania.     Pink  Family. 

Stems. — Four  to  eight  inches  high.  Leaves. — Those  from  the  root  nar- 
rowly wedge-shaped,  those  on  the  stem  lance-shaped,  opposite.  Flowers. — 
Bright  pink,  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals. 
Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

When  a  vivid  cluster  of  wild  pinks  gleams  from  some  rocky 
opening  in  the  May  woods,  it  is  difficult  to  restrain  one's  eager  - 

178 


PLATE    LXIII 


Fruit 


TWISTED    STALK.— S.  roseus. 
179 


PINK 


ness,  for  there  is  something  peculiarly  enticing  in  these  fresh, 
vigorous-looking  flowers.  They  are  quite  unlike  most  of  their 
fragile  contemporaries,  for  they  seem  to  be  already  imbued  with 
the  glowing  warmth  of  summer,  and  to  have  no  memory  of  that 
snowy  past  which  appears  to  leave  its  imprint  on  so  many  blos- 
soms of  the  early  year. 

In  waste  places,,  from  June  until  September  or  later,  we  find 
the  small  clustered  pink  flowers,  which  open  transiently  in  the 
sunshine  of  the  sleepy  catchfly,  S.  antirrhina. 


PINK  LADY'S  SLIPPER.    MOCCASON-FLOWER. 

Cypripedium  acaule.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Scape. — Eight  to  twelve  inches  high,  two-leaved  at  base,  downy,  one-flow- 
ered. Leaves. — Two,  large,  many-nerved  and  plaited,  sheathing  at  the  base. 
Flower. — Solitary,  purple-pink.  Perianth. — Of  three  greenish  spreading 
sepals,  the  two  lateral  petals  narrow,  spreading,  greenish,  the  pink  lip  in  the 
shape  of  a  large  inflated  pouch.  Stamens. — Two,  the  short  filaments  each 
bearing  a  two-celled  anther.  Stigma. — Broad,  obscurely  three-lobed,  moist 
and  roughish. 

Graceful  and  tall  the  slender,  drooping  stem, 

With  two  broad  leaves  below, 
Shapely  the  flower  so  lightly  poised  between, 

And  warm  her  rosy  glow, 

writes  Elaine  Goodale  of  the  moccason-flower.  This  is  a  blos- 
som whose  charm  never  wanes.  It  seems  to  be  touched  with 
the  spirit  of  the  deep  woods,  and  there  is  a  certain  fitness  in  its 
Indian  name,  for  it  looks  as  though  it  came  direct  from  the  home 
of  the  red  man.  All  who  have  found  it  in  its  secluded  haunts 
will  sympathize  with  Mr.  Higginson's  feeling  that  each  specimen 
is  a  rarity,  even  though  he  should  find  a  hundred  to  an  acre. 
Gray  assigns  it  to  "  dry  or  moist  woods,"  while  Mr.  Baldwin 
writes  :  "  The  finest  specimens  I  ever  saw  sprang  out  of  cush- 
ions of  crisp  reindeer  moss  high  up  among  the  rocks  of  an  ex- 
posed hill-side,  and  again  I  have  found  it  growing  vigorously  in 
almost  open  swamps,  but  nearly  colorless  from  excessive  mois- 
ture." The  same  writer  quotes  a  lady  who  is  familiar  with  it  in 
the  Adirondacks.  She  says  :  "  It  seems  to  have  a  great  fondness 
for  decaying  wood,  and  I  often  see  a  whole  row  perched  like 

180 


PLATE  LXIV 


PINK   LADY'S   SLIPPER.—  C. 

181 


PINK 


birds  along  a  crumbling  log."  While  I  recall  a  mountain  lake 
where  the  steep  cliffs  rise  from  the  water's  edge,  here  and  there, 
on  a  tiny  shelf  strewn  with  pine-needles,  can  be  seen  a  pair  of 
large  veiny  leaves,  above  which,  in  early  June,  the  pink  balloon- 
like  blossom  floats  from  its  slender  scape. 


Calopogon  pulchellus.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Scape. — Rising  about  one  foot  from  a  small  solid  bulb.  Leaf. — Linear, 
grass-like.  Flowers. — Two  to  six  on  each  scape,  purple-pink,  about  one 
inch  broad,  the  lip  as  if  hinged  at  its  insertion,  bearded  toward  the  summit 
with  white,  yellow,  and  purple  hairs.  The  peculiarity  of  this  orchid  is  that 
the  ovary  is  not  twisted,  and  consequently  the  lip  is  on  the  upper  instead  of 
the  lower  side  of  the  flower. 

One  may  hope  to  find  these  bright  flowers  growing  side  by 
side  with  the  glistening  sundew  in  the  rich  bogs  of  early  sum- 
mer. Mr.  Baldwin  assigns  still  another  constant  companion  to 
the  Calopogon,  an  orchid  which  staggers  under  the  terrifying 
title  of  Pogonia  ophioglossoides.  The  generic  name  of  Calopogon 
is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  beautiful  beard  and  has 
reference  to  the  delicately  bearded  lip. 


PINK  AZALEA.    WILD  HONEYSUCKLE.    PINXTER  FLOWER. 
SWAMP  PINK. 

Rhododendron  nudiflorum.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  two  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves.—  Narrowly  oblong,  downy 
underneath,  usually  appearing  somewhat  later  than  the  flowers.  Flowers. — 
Pink,  clustered.  Calyx. — Minute.  Corolla. — Funnel-shaped,  with  five 
long  recurved  lobes.  Stamens. — Five  or  ten,  long,  protruding  noticeably. 
Pistil. — One,  long,  protruding. 

Our  May  swamps  and  moist  woods  are  made  rosy  by  masses 
of  the  pink  azalea  which  is  often  known  as  the  wild  honey- 
suckle, although  not  even  a  member  of  the  Honeysuckle  family. 
It  is  in  the  height  of  its  beauty  before  the  blooming  of  the  laurel, 
and  heralds  the  still  lovelier  pageant  which  is  even  then  in  rapid 
course  of  preparation. 

In  the  last  century  the  name  of  Mayflower  was  given  to  the 

182 


PLATE    LXV 


PINK  AZALEA.—  R.  nudiflorum. 
183 


PINK 


shrub  by  the  Swedes  in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia. 
Peter  Kalm,  the  pupil  of  Linnaeus,  after  whom  our  laurel,  Kal- 
mia,  is  named,  writes  the  following  description  of  the  shrub  in 
his  "Travels,"  which  were  published  in  English  in  1771,  and 
which  explain  the  origin  of  one  of  its  titles  :  *<  Some  of  the 
Swedes  and  Dutch  call  them  Pinxter-bloem  (Whitsunday-flower) 
as  they  really  are  in  bloom  about  Whitsuntide  ;  and  at  a  distance 
they  have  some  similarity  to  the  Honeysuckle  or  <  Lonicera. ' 
Its  flowers  were  now  open  and  added  a  new  ornament 
to  the  woods.  .  .  .  They  sit  in  a  circle  round  the  stem's 
extremity  and  have  either  a  dark  red  or  a  lively  red  color ;  but 
by  standing  for  some  time  the  sun  bleaches  them,  and  at  last  they 
get  to  a  whitish  hue.  .  .  .  They  have  some  smell,  but  I 
cannot  say  it  is  very  pleasant.  However,  the  beauty  of  the 
flower  entitles  them  to  a  place  in  every  flower-garden."  While 
our  pink  azalea  could  hardly  be  called  "  dark  red  "  under  any 
circumstances,  it  varies  greatly  in  the  color  of  its  flowers. 
The  azalea  is  the  national  flower  of  Flanders. 


Rhododendron  Rhodora.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves.— Oblong,  pale.  Floivers. 
— Purplish-pink.  Calyx. — Small.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  almost  without 
any  tube.  Stamens. — Ten,  not  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  not  protruding. 

In  May,  when  sea-winds  pierced  our  solitudes, 

I  found  the  fresh  Rhodora  in  the  woods, 

Spreading  its  leafless  blooms  in  a  damp  nook, 

To  please  the  desert  and  the  sluggish  brook. 

The  purple  petals,  fallen  in  the  pool, 

Made  the  black  water  with  their  beauty  gay  ; 

Here  might  the  red-bird  come  his  plumes  to  cool, 

And  court  the  flower  that  cheapens  his  array. 

Rhodora !  if  the  sages  ask  thee  why 

This  charm  is  wasted  on  the  earth  and  sky, 

Tell  them,  dear,  that  if  eyes  were  made  for  seeing, 

Then  Beauty  is  its  own  excuse  for  being  ; 

Why  thou  wert  there,  O  rival  of  the  rose ! 

I  never  thought  to  ask,  I  never  knew  ; 

But  in  my  simple  ignorance,  suppose 

The  self-same  Power  that  brought  me  there,  brought  you.  * 

*  Emerson. 
184 


PINK 


SHEEP  LAUREL.    LAMBKILL. 

Kalmia  angustifolia.     Heath  Family. 

A  shrub  from  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Narrowly  oblong,  light 
green.  Flowers. — Deep  pink,  in  lateral  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-parted. 
<7<9r0//rt.— Five-lobed,  between  wheel  and  bell-shaped,  with  stamens  caught 
in  its  depressions  as  in  the  mountain  laurel.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — 
One. 

This  low  shrub  grows  abundantly  with  the  mountain  laurel, 
bearing  smaller  deep  pink  flowers  at  the  same  season,  and  nar- 
rower, paler  leaves.  It  is  said  to  be  the  most  poisonous  of  the 
genus,  and  to  be  especially  deadly  to  sheep,  while  deer  are  sup- 
posed to  feed  upon  its  leaves  with  impunity. 


AMERICAN  CRANBERRY. 


Vaccinium  macrocarpon.     Heath  Family. 

Stems. — Slender,  trailing,  one  to  four  feet  long.  Leaves. — Oblong,  ob- 
tuse. Flowers. — Pale  pink,  nodding.  Calyx. — With  short  teeth.  Corolla. 
— Four-parted.  Stamens. — Eight  or  ten,  protruding.  Fruit. — A  large, 
acid,  red  berry. 

In  the  peat- bogs  of  our  Northeastern  States  we  may  look  in 
June  for  the  pink  nodding  flowers,  and  in  late  summer  for  the 
large  red  berries  of  this  well-known  plant. 


ADDER'S  MOUTH. 

Pogonia  ophioglossoides.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Stern. — Six  to  nine  inches  high,  from  a  fibrous  root.  Leaves. — An  oval 
or  lance-oblong  one  near  the  middle  of  the  stem,  and  a  smaller  or  bract-like 
one  near  the  terminal  flower,  occasionally  one  or  two  others,  with  a  flower  in 
their  axils.  Flower. — Pale  pink,  sometimes  white,  sweet-scented,  one  inch 
long,  lip  bearded  and  fringed. 

Mr.  Baldwin  maintains  that  there  is  no  wild  flower  of  as 
pure  a  pink  as  this  unless  it  be  the  Sabbatia.  Its  color  has  also 
been  described  as  a  "peach-blossom  red."  As  already  men- 
tioned, the  plant  is  found  blossoming  in  bogs  during  the  early 
summer  in  company  with  the  Calopogons  and  sundews.  Its  vio- 
let-like fragrance  greatly  enhances  its  charm. 

185 


PINK 


COMMON  MILKWORT. 

Polygala  sanguinea.     Milkwort  Family. 

Stem. — Six  inches  to  a  foot  high,  sparingly  branched  above,  leafy  to  the 
top.  Leaves. — Oblong-linear.  Floivers. — Growing  in  round  or  oblong  heads 
which  are  somewhat  clover-like  in  appearance,  bright  pink  or  almost  red,  oc- 
casionally paler.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals,  three  of  which  are  small  and  often 
greenish,  while  the  two  inner  ones  are  much  larger  and  colored  like  the  pet- 
als. Corolla. — Of  three  petals  connected  with  each  other,  the  lower  one 
keel-shaped.  Stamens". — Six  or  eight.  Pistil. — One.  (Flowers  too  difficult 
to  be  analyzed  by  the  non-botanist. ) 

This  pretty  little  plant  abounds  in  moist  and  also  sandy 
places,  growing  on  mountain  heights  as  well  as  in  the  salt  mead- 
ows which  skirt  the  sea.  In  late  summer  its  bright  flower-heads 
gleam  vividly  through  the  grasses,  and  from  their  form  and  color 
might  almost  be  mistaken  for  pink  clover.  Occasionally  they 
are  comparatively  pale  and  inconspicuous. 


Polygala  poly gama.     Milkwort  Family. 

Stems. — Very  leafy,  six  to  nine  inches  high,  with  cleistogamous  flowers 
on  underground  runners.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped  or  oblong.  Flowers. — 
Purple-pink,  loosely  clustered  in  a  terminal  raceme.  Keel  of  Corolla. — 
Crested.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One. 

Like  its  more  attractive  sister,  the  fringed  polygala,  this  little 
plant  hides  its  most  useful,  albeit  unattractive,  blossoms  in  the 
ground,  where  they  can  fulfil  their  destiny  of  perpetuating  the 
species  without  danger  of  molestation  by  thievish  insects  or  any 
of  the  distractions  incidental  to  a  more  worldly  career.  Ex- 
actly what  purpose  the  little  above-ground  flowers,  which  appear 
so  plentifully  in  sandy  soil  in  July,  are  intended  to  serve,  it  is 
difficult  to  understand. 

FRINGED  POLYGALA. 

Polygala  paucifolia.     Milkwort  Family. 

Flowering-stems. — Three  or  four  inches  high,  from  long,  prostrate  or 
underground  shoots  which  also  bear  cleistogamous  flowers.  leaves. — The 
lower,  small  and  scale-like,  scattered,  the  upper,  ovate,  and  crowded  at  the 
summit.  Flowers. — Purple-pink,  rarely  white,  rather  large.  Keel  of  Corol- 
la.— Conspicuously  fringed  and  crested.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One. 

"  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  that  delicate  and  lovely  flower 
of  May,  the  fringed  polygala.  You  gather  it  when  you  go  for 

186 


PLATE   LXVI 


P.  polygama. 


P.  sanguinea. 


MILKWORT. 
I87 


PINK 

the  fragrant  showy  orchis — that  is,  if  you  are  lucky  enough  to 
find  it.  It  is  rather  a  shy  flower,  and  is  not  found  in  every 
wood.  One  day  we  went  up  and  down  through  the  woods  look- 
ing for  it — woods  of  mingled  oak,  chestnut,  pine,  and  hemlock, 
— and  were  about  giving  it  up  when  suddenly  we  came  upon  a 
gay  company  of  them  beside  an  old  wood-road.  It  was  as  if  a 
flock  of  small  rose-purple  butterflies  had  alighted  there  on  the 
ground  before  us.  The  whole  plant  has  a  singularly  fresh  and 
tender  aspect.  Its  foliage  is  of  a  slightly  purple  tinge  and  of 
very  delicate  texture.  Not  the  least  interesting  feature  about 
the  plant  is  the  concealed  fertile  flower  which  it  bears  on  a  sub- 
terranean stem,  keeping,  as  it  were,  one  flower  for  beauty  and 
one  for  use." 

It  seems  unnecessary  to  tempt  "odorous  comparisons"  by 
endeavoring  to  supplement  the  above  description  of  Mr.  Bur- 
roughs. 

MOSS  POLYGALA. 
Polygala  crticiata.     Milkwort  Family. 

Stems. — Three  to  ten  inches  high,  almost  winged  at  the  angles,  with 
spreading  opposite  leaves  and  branches.  Leaves. — Linear,  nearly  all  whorled 
in  fours.  Floivers. — Greenish  or  purplish-pink,  growing  in  short,  thick  spikes 
which  terminate  the  branches. 

There  is  something  very  moss-like  in  the  appearance  of  this 
little  plant  which  blossoms  in  late  summer.  It  is  found  near 
moist  places  and  salt  marshes  along  the  coast,  being  very  com- 
mon in  parts  of  New  England. 

SPREADING  DOGBANE.    INDIAN  HEMP. 

Apocynum  andros^mi folium.      Dogbane  Family. 

Stems. — Erect,  branching,  two  or  three  feet  high.  Leaves.  — Opposite, 
oval.  Flowers. — Rose-color  veined  with  deep  pink,  loosely  clustered. 
Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Small,  bell-shaped,  five-cleft.  Stamens. 
— Five,  slightly  adherent  to  the  pistil.  Pistil. — Two  ovaries  surmounted  by 
a  large,  two-lobed  stigma.  Fruit. — Two  long  and  slender  pods. 

The  flowers  of  the  dogbane,  though  small  and  inconspicuous 
are  very  beautiful  if  closely  examined.  The  deep  pink  veining 
of  the  corolla  suggests  nectar,  and  the  insect-visitor  is  not  mis- 

188 


PLATE    LXVIl 


SPREADING   DOGBANE.— A.  androscemifolium. 
189 


PINK 

led,  for  at  its  base  are  five  nectar -bearing  glands.  The  two  long, 
slender  seed-pods  which  result  from  a  single  blossom  seem  inap- 
propriately large,  often  appearing  while  the  plant  is  still  in 
flower.  Rafinesque  states  that  from  the  stems  may  be  obtained 
a  thread  similar  to  hemp  which  can  be  woven  into  cloth,  from 
the  pods,  cotton,  and  from  the  blossoms,  sugar.  Its  generic  and 
one  of  its  English  titles  arose  from  the  belief,  which  formerly 
prevailed,  that  it  was  poisonous  to  dogs.  The  plant  is  con- 
stantly found  growing  in  roadside  thickets,  with  bright,  pretty 
foliage,  and  blossoms  that  appear  in  early  summer. 

HEDGE  BINDWEED. 

Convolvulus  Americamis.     Convolvulus  Family. 

Stem.  — Twining  or  trailing.  Leaves.  —  Somewhat  arrow-shaped. 
Flowers. — Pink.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals  enclosed  in  two  broad  leafy  bracts. 
Corolla. — Five-lobed,  bell-shaped.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
two  stigmas. 

Many  an  unsightly  heap  of  rubbish  left  by  the  roadside  is 
hidden  by  the  delicate  pink  bells  of  the  hedge  bindweed,  which 
again  will  clamber  over  the  thickets  that  line  the  streams  and 
about  the  tumbled  stone-wall  that  marks  the  limit  of  the  past- 
ure. The  pretty  flowers  at  once  suggest  the  morning-glory,  to 
which  they  are  closely  allied. 

The  common  European  bindweed,  C.  arvensts,  has  white  or 
pinkish  flowers,  without  bracts  beneath  the  calyx,  and  a  low  pro- 
cumbent or  twining  stem.  It  has  taken  possession  of  many  of 
our  old  fields  where  it  spreads  extensively  and  proves  trouble- 
some to  farmers. 

PURPLE-FLOWERING  RASPBERRY. 

Rubus  odoratus.     Rose  Family. 

Stem. —Shrubby,  three  to  five  feet  high;  branching,  branches  bristly 
and  glandular.  Leaves.—  Three  to  five-lobed,  the  middle  lobe  prolonged. 
Flowers. — Purplish-pink,  large  and  showy,  two  inches  broad.  Calyx. — 
Five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  rounded  petals.  Stamens  and  Pistils. — 
Numerous.  Fruit. — Reddish,  resembling  the  garden  raspberry. 

This  flower  betrays  its  relationship  to  the  wild  rose,  and 
might  easily  be  mistaken  for  it,  although  a  glance  at  the  undi- 

190 


PLATE   LXVIII 


Fruit. 

PURPLE-FLOWERING    RASPBERRY.— R.  odoratus. 
191 


PINK 


vided  leaves  would  at  once  correct  such  an  error.  The  plant  is 
a  decorative  one  when  covered  with  its  showy  blossoms,  con- 
stantly arresting  our  attention  along  the  wooded  roadsides  in 
June  and  July. 

PALE  CORYDALIS. 

Corydalis  glauca.     Fumitory  Family. 

Stem. — Six  inches  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Pale,  divided  into  delicate 
leaflets.  Flowers. — Pink  and  yellow,  in  loose  clusters.  Calyx. — Of  two 
small,  scale-like  sepals.  Corolla. — Pink,  tipped  with  yellow  ;  closed  and 
flattened,  of  four  petals,  with  a  short  spur  at  the  base  of  the  upper  petal. 
Stamens. — Six,  maturing  before  the  pistil,  thus  avoiding  self-fertilization. 
Pistil.—  One. 

From  the  rocky  clefts  in  the  summer  woods  springs  the  pale 
corydalis,  its  graceful  foliage  dim  with  a  whitish  bloom,  and  its 
delicate'  rosy,  yellow-tipped  flowers  betraying  by  their  odd  flat 
corollas  their  kinship  with  the  Dutchman's  breeches  and  squir- 
rel corn  of  the  early  year,  as  well  as  with  the  bleeding  hearts  of 
the  garden.  Thoreau  assigns  them  to  the  middle  of  May,  and 
says  they  are  "  rarely  met  with,"  which  statement  does  not  coin- 
cide with  the  experience  of  those  who  find  the  rocky  woodlands 
each  summer  abundantly  decorated  with  their  fragile  clusters. 

The  generic  name,  Corydalis,  is  the  ancient  Greek  title  for  the 
crested  lark,  and  said  to  refer  to  the  crested  seeds  of  this  genus. 
The  specific  title,  glauca,  refers  to  the  pallor  of  leaves  and  stem. 

The  golden  corydalis,  C.  aurea,  is  found  on  rocky  banks 
somewhat  westward. 

COMMON  MILKWEED. 

Asclepias  Cornuti.     Milkweed  Family. 

Stem. — Tall,  stout,  downy,  with  a  milky  juice.  Leaves. — Generally 
opposite  or  whorled,  the  upper  sometimes  scattered,  large,  oblong,  pale, 
minutely  downy  underneath.  Flowers. — Dull,  purplish-pink,  clustered  at 
the  summit  and  along  the  sides  of  the  stem.  (These  flowers  are  too  difficult 
to  be  successfully  analyzed  by  the  non-botanist.)  Calyx. — Five-parted,  the 
divisions  small  and  reflexed.  Corolla. — Deeply  five-parted,  the  divisions 
reflexed  ;  above  them  a  crown  of  five  hooded  nectaries,  each  containing  an 
incurved  horn.  Stamens. — Five,  inserted  on  the  base  of  the  corolla,  united 
with  each  other  and  enclosing  the  pistils.  Pistils. — Properly  two,  enclosed 
by  the  stamens,  surmounted  by  a  large  five-angled  disk.  Fruit. — Two  pods, 
one  of  which  is  large  and  full  of  silky-tufted  seeds,  the  other  often  stunted. 

This  is  probably  the  commonest  representative  of  this  strik- 
ing and  beautiful  native  family.  The  tall,  stout  stems,  large, 

192 


PINK 

pale  leaves,  dull  pink  clustered  flowers  which  appear  in  July, 
and  later  the  puffy  pods  filled  with  the  silky-tufted  seeds  beloved 
of  imaginative  children,  are  familiar  to  nearly  everyone  who 
spends  a  portion  of  the  year  in  the  country.  The  young  sprouts 
are  said  to  make  an  excellent  pot-herb;  the  silky  hairs  of  the 
seed-pods  have  been  used  for  the  stuffing  of  pillows  and  mat- 
tresses, and  can  be  mixed  with  flax  or  wool  and  woven  to  ad- 
vantage ;  while  paper  has  been  manufactured  from  the  stout 
stalks. 

The  four-leaved  milkweed,  A.  quadrifolia,  is  the  most  deli- 
cate member  of  the  family,  with  fragrant  rose-tinged  flowers 
which  appear  on  the  dry  wooded  hill-sides  quite  early  in  June, 
and  slender  stems  which  are  usually  leafless  below,  and  with  one 
or  two  whorls  and  one  or  two  pairs  of  oval,  taper-pointed  leaves 
above. 

The  swamp  milkweed,  A.  incarnata,  grows  commonly  in 
moist  places.  Its  very  leafy  stems  are  two  or  three  feet  high, 
with  narrowly  oblong,  pointed  leaves.  Its  intense  purple-pink 
flowers  gleam  from  the  wet  meadows  nearly  all  summer.  They 
are  smaller  than  those  of  the  purple  milkweed,  A.  purpurascens, 
which  abounds  in  dry  ground,  and  which  may  be  classed  among 
the  deep  pink  or  purple  flowers  according  to  the  eye  of  the  be- 
holder. 

HERB  ROBERT. 

Geranium  Robertianum.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Forking,  slightly  hairy.  Leaves. — Three,  divided,  the  divisions 
again  dissected.  Flowers. — Purple-pink,  small.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals. 
Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles 
which  split  apart  in  fruit. 

From  June  until  October  many  of  our  shaded  woods  and 
glens  are  abundantly  decorated  by  the  bright  blossoms  of  the 
herb  Robert.  The  reddish  stalks  of  the  plant  have  won  it  the 
name  of ' '  red  -shanks  ' '  in  the  Scotch  Highlands.  Its  strong  scent 
is  caused  by  a  resinous  secretion  which  exists  in  several  of  the 
geraniums.  In  some  species  this  resin  is  so- abundant  that  the 
stems  will  burn  like  torches,  yielding  a  powerful  and  pleasant 
perfume.  The  common  name  is  said  to  have  been  given  the 


plant  on  account  of  its  supposed  virtue  in  a  disease  which  was 
known  as  "  Robert's  plague,"  after  Robert,  Duke  of  Normandy. 
In  some  of  the  early  writers  it  is  alluded  to  as  the  "  holy  herb  of 
Robert." 

In  fruit  the  styles  of  this  plant  split  apart  with  an  elasticity 
which  serves  to  project  the  seeds  to  a  distance,  it  is  said,  of 
twenty-five  feet. 

BUSH  CLOVER. 

~  Lespedeza  pro cumbens.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stems. — Slender,  trailing,  and  prostrate.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three 
clover-like  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  purplish-pink,  veiny.  Pod. 
— Small,  rounded,  flat,  one-seeded. 

The  flowers  of  this  plant  often  have  the  appearance  of  spring- 
ing directly  from  the  earth  amid  a  mass  of  clover  leaves.  They 
are  common  in  dry  soil  in  the  late  summer  and  autumn,  as  are 
the  other  members  of  the  same  genus. 

L.  reticulata  is  an  erect,  very  leafy  species  with  similar 
blossoms,  which  are  chiefly  clustered  near  the  upper  part  of  the 
stem.  The  bush  clovers  betray  at  once  their  kinship  with  the 
tick-trefoils,  but  are  usually  found  in  more  sandy,  open  places. 

L.  polystachya  has  upright  wand -like  stems  from  two  to  four 
feet  high.  Its  flowers  grow  in  oblong  spikes  on  elongated  stalks. 
Those  of  L.  capitata  are  clustered  in  globular  heads. 

TICK-TREFOIL. 

Desmodium  Canadense.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Hairy,  three  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  some- 
what oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  dull  purplish-pink,  growing 
in  densely  flowered  racemes.  Pod. — Flat,  deeply  lobed  on  the  lower  margin, 
from  one  to  three  inches  long,  roughened  with  minute  hooked  hairs  by  means 
of  which  they  adhere  to  animals  and  clothing. 

Great  masses  of  color  are  made  by  these  flowers  in  the  bogs 
and  rich  woods  of  midsummer.  They  are  effective  when  seen  in 
the  distance,  but  rather  disappointing  on  closer  examination, 
and  will  hardly  bear  gathering  or  transportation.  They  are  by 
far  the  largest  and  most  showy  of  the  genus. 

194 


PLATE   LXIX 


HERB   ROBERT.— G.  Robertianvm. 
'95 


PINK 


TICK  TREFOIL. 

Desmodium  nudiflorum.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Scape. — About  two  feet  long.  Leaves. — Divided  into  three  broad  leaflets, 
crowded  at  the  summit  of  the  flowerless  stems.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous, 
purplish-pink,  small,  growing  in  an  elongated  raceme  on  a  mostly  leafless 
scape. 

This  is  a  smaller,  less  noticeable  plant  than  D.  Canadense. 
It  flourishes  abundantly  in  dry  woods,  where  it  often  takes  pos- 
session in  late  summer  to  the  exclusion  of  nearly  all  other  flowers. 

The  flowers  of  D.  acuminatum  grow  in  an  elongated  raceme 
from  a  stem  about  whose  summit  the  leaves,  divided  into  very 
large  leaflets,  are  crowded  ;  otherwise  it  resembles  D.  nudiflorum. 

D.  Dillenii  grows  to  a  height  of  from  two  to  five  feet,  with 
erect  leafy  stems  and  medium-sized  flowers.  It  is  found  com- 
monly in  open  woods. 

Many  of  us  who  do  not  know  these  plants  by  name  have 
uttered  various  imprecations  against  their  roughened  pods. 
Thoreau  writes :  "  Though  you  were  running  for  your  life,  they 
would  have  time  to  catch  and  cling  to  your  clothes.  .  .  .  These 
almost  invisible  nets,  as  it  were,  are  spread  for  us,  and  whole 
coveys  of  desmodium  and  bidens  seeds  steal  transportation  out 
of  us.  I  have  found  myself  often  covered,  as  it  were,  with  an 
imbricated  coat  of  the  brown  desmodium  seeds  or  a  bristling 
chevaux-de-frise  of  beggar-ticks,  and  had  to  spend  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  or  more  picking  them  off  in  some  convenient  spot ;  and 
so  they  get  just  what  they  wanted — deposited  in  another  place." 

BOUNCING  BET.    SOAPWORT. 

Saponaria   officinalis.      Pink   Family. 

Stem. — Rather  stout,  swollen  at  the  joints.  Leaves. — Oval,  opposite. 
Flowers. — Pink  or  white,  clustered.  Calyx. — Of  five  united  sepals.  Co- 
rolla.— Of  five  pinkish,  long-clawed  petals  (frequently  the  flowers  are 
double).  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

A  cheery  pretty  plant  is  this  with  large,  rose-tinged  flowers 
which  are  especially  effective  when  double. 

Bouncing  Bet  is  of  a  sociable  turn  and  is  seldom  found  far 
from  civilization,  delighting  in  the  proximity  of  farm-houses  and 
their  belongings,  in  the  shape  of  children,  chickens,  and  cattle. 

196 


PLATE   LXX 


BOUNCING  BET.—  S.  officinalis. 
I97 


PINK 

She  comes  to  us  from  England,  and  her  "  feminine  comeliness 
and  bounce"  suggest  to  Mr.  Burroughs  a  Yorkshire  housemaid. 
The  generic  name  is  from  sapo — soap,  and  refers  to  the  lather 
which  the  juice  forms  with  water,  and  which  is  said  to  have  been 
used  as  a  substitute  for  soap. 

STEEPLE-BUSH.     HARDHACK. 

Spircea  tomentosa.    Rose  Family. 

Stems. — Very  woolly.  Leaves. — Alternate,  oval,  toothed.  Flowers. — 
Small,  pink,  in  pyramidal  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five 
rounded  petals.  Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five  to  eight. 

The  pink  spires  of  this  shrub  justify  its  rather  unpoetic  name 
of  steeple-bush.  It  is  closely  allied  to  the  meadow-sweet  (PL 
XXVI. ),  blossoming  with  it  in  low  grounds  during  the  summer, 
it  differs  from  that  plant  in  the  color  of  its  flowers  and  in  the 
woolliness  of  its  stems  and  the  lower  surface  of  its  leaves. 

\5 

DEPTFORD  PINK. 

Dianthus  Armeria.     Pink  Family. 

One  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  long  and  narrow,  hairy. 
Flowers. — Pink,  with  white  dots,  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-toothed,  cylin- 
drical, with  awl-shaped  bracts  beneath.  Corolla. — Of  five  small  petals. 
Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  styles. 

In  July  and  August  we  find  these  little  flowers  in  our  eastern 
fields.  The  generic  name,  which  signifies  Jove' 's  own  flower, 
hardly  applies  to  these  inconspicuous  blossoms.  Perhaps  it  was 
originally  bestowed  upon  D.  caryophyllus,  a  large  and  fragrant 
English  member  of  the  genus,  which  was  the  origin  of  our  gar- 
den carnation. 
/ 

PURPLE  LOOSESTRIFE. 

Ly thrum  Salicaria.     Loosestrife  Family. 

Stem. — Tall  and  slender.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped,  with  a  heart-shaped 
base,  sometimes  whorled  in  threes.  Flowers. — Deep  purple-pink,  crowded 
and  whorled  in  an  interrupted  spike.  Calyx. — Five  to  seven-toothed,  with 
little  processes  between  the  teeth.  Corolla. — Of  five  or  six  somewhat 
wrinkled  petals.  Stamens. — Usually  twelve,  in  two  sets,  six  longer  and  six 
shorter.  Pistil. — One,  varying  in  size  in  the  different  blossoms,  being  of 
three  different  lengths. 

One  who  has  seen  an  inland  marsh  in  August  aglow  with 
this  beautiful  plant,  is  almost  ready  to  forgive  the  Old  Country 

198 


PLATE    LXX! 


PURPLE   LOOSESTRIFE.— L.  Salicaria. 
I99 


PINK 


some  of  the  many  pests  she  has  shipped  to  our  shores  in  view  of 
this  radiant  acquisition.  The  botany  locates  it  anywhere  be- 
tween Nova  Scotia  and  Delaware.  It  may  be  seen  in  the  per- 
fection of  its  beauty  along  the  marshy  shores  of  the  Hudson  and 
in  the  swamps  of  the  Wallkill  Valley. 

When  we  learn  that  these  flowers  are  called  ' '  long  purples, ' ' 
by  the  English  country  people,  the  scene  of  Ophelia's  tragic 
death  rises  before  us  : 

There  is  a  willow  grows  aslant  a  brook, 

That  shows  his  hoar  leaves  in  the  glassy  stream, 

There  with  fantastic  garlands  did  she  come, 

Of  crow-flowers,  nettles,  daisies,  and  long  purples 

That  liberal  shepherds  give  a  grosser  name, 

But  our  cold  maids  do  dead  men's  fingers  call  them. 

Dr.  Prior,  however,  says  that  it  is  supposed  that  Shakespeare 
intended  to  designate  the  purple-flowering  orchis,  O.  mascula, 
which  is  said  to  closely  resemble  the  showy  orchis  (PL  LXII.) 
of  our  spring  woods. 

The  flowers  of  the  purple  loosestrife  are  especially  interest- 
ing to  botanists  on  account  of  their  trimorphism,  which  word 
signifies  occurring  in  three  forms,  and  refers  to  the  stamens  and 
pistils,  which  vary  in  size  in  the  different  blossoms,  being  of 
three  different  lengths,  the  pollen  from  any  given  set  of  stamens 
being  especially  fitted  to  fertilize  a  pistil  of  corresponding  length. 


MEADOW-BEAUTY.    DEER-GRASS. 

Rhexia  Virginica.     Melastoma  Family. 

Stem. — Square,  with  wing-like  angles.  Leaves. — Opposite,  narrowly 
oval.  Flowers. — Purplish-pink,  clustered.  Calyx-tube. — Urn-shaped,  four- 
cleft  at  the  apex.  Corolla. — Of  four  large  rounded  petals.  Stamens. — 
Eight,  with  long  curved  anthers.  Pistil. — One. 

It  is  always  a  pleasant  surprise  to  happen  upon  a  bright  patch 
of  these  delicate  deep-hued  flowers  along  the  marshes  or  in  the 
sandy  fields  of  midsummer.  Their  fragile  beauty  is  of  that  order 
which  causes  it  to  seem  natural  that  they  should  belong  to  a 
genus  which  is  the  sole  northern  representative  of  a  tropical  fam- 
ily. In  parts  of  New  England  they  grow  in  profusion,  while  in 
Arkansas  the  plant  is  said  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  deer, 

200 


PLATE   LXXII 


MEADOW-BEAUTY.— R.  Virginica. 
201 


PINK 


hence  one  of  its  common  names.  The  flower  has  been  likened 
to  a  scarlet  evening  primrose,  and  there  is  certainly  a  suggestion 
of  the  evening  primrose  in  the  four  rounded,  slightly  heart-shaped 
petals.  The  protruding  stamens,  with  their  long  yellow  anthers, 
are  conspicuous. 

Of  the  plant  in  the  late  year,  Thoreau  writes  :  "  The  scarlet 
leaves  and  stem  of  the  rhexia,  sometime  out  of  flower,  make  al- 
most as  -bright  a  patch  in  the  meadows  now  as  the  flowers  did. 
Its  seed-vessels  are  perfect  little  cream-pitchers  of  graceful  form." 

CLAMMY  CUPHEA.    WAX-WEED. 

Cuphea  viscosissima.     Loosestrife  Family. 

Stem. — Sticky,  hairy,  branching.  Leaves. — Usually  opposite,  rounded, 
lance-shaped.  Floivers. — Deep  purplish-pink,  solitary  or  in  racemes.  Ca- 
lyx.— Tubular,  slightly  spurred  at  the  base  on  the  upper  side,  six-toothed  at 
the  apex,  usually  with  a  slight  projection  between  each  tooth.  Corolla. — 
Small,  of  six  unequal  petals.  Stamens. — Eleven  or  twelve,  of  unequal  sizes, 
in  two  sets.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

In  the  dry  fields  and  along  the  roadsides  of  late  summer  this 
plant  is  found  in  blossom.  Its  rather  wrinkled  purplish-pink 
petals  and  unequal  stamens  suggest  the  flowers  of  the  spiked 
loosestrife,  L.  Salicaria,  to  which  it  is  closely  related. 

SEA  PINK. 

Sabbatia  stellaris.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  loosely  branched.  Leaves. — Opposite,  oblong  to  lance- 
shaped,  the  upper  narrowly  linear.  Flowers. — Large,  deep  pure  pink  to 
almost  white.  Calyx. — Usually  five-parted,  the  lobes  long  and  slender. 
Corolla. — Usually  five-parted,  conspicuously  marked  with  red  and  yellow  in 
the  centre.  Stamens. — Usually  five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two-cleft  style. 

The  advancing  year  has  few  fairer  sights  to  show  us  than  a 
salt  meadow  flushed  with  these  radiant  blossoms.  They  are  so 
abundant,  so  deep-hued,  so  delicate  !  One  feels  tempted  to  lie 
down  among  the  pale  grasses  and  rosy  stars  in  the  sunshine  of 
the  August  morning  and  drink  his  fill  of  their  beauty.  How 
often  nature  tries  to  the  utmost  our  capacity  of  appreciation  and 
leaves  us  still  insatiate  !  At  such  times  it  is  almost  a  relief  to 
turn  from  the  mere  contemplation  of  beauty  to  the  study  of  its 
structure  ;  it  rests  our  overstrained  faculties. 

202 


PLATE  LXXIII 


SEA   PINK.— S.  stellaris. 
203 


PINK 

The  vivid  coloring  and  conspicuous  marking  of  these  flowers 
indicate  that  they  aim  to  attract  certain  members  of  the  insect 
world.  As  in  the  fireweed  the  pistil  of  the  freshly  opened  blos- 
som is  curved  sideways,  with  its  lobes  so  closed  and  twisted  as 
to  be  inaccessible  on  their  stigmatic  surfaces  to  the  pollen  which 
the  already  mature  stamens  are  discharging.  When  the  effete 
anthers  give  evidence'  that  they  are  hors  de  combat  by  their  with- 
ered appearance,  the  style  erects  itself  and  spreads  its  stigmas. 

S.  angularis  is  a  species  which  may  be  found  in  rich  soil  in- 
land. Its  somewhat  heart-shaped,  clasping,  five-nerved  leaves 
and  angled  stem  serve  to  identify  it. 

S.  chloroides  is  a  larger  and  peculiarly  beautiful  species  which 
borders  brackish  ponds  along  the  coast.  Its  corolla  is  about  two 
inches  broad  and  eight  to  twelve-parted. 

MARSH  ST.  JOHN'S-WORT. 

E lodes  campanulata.      St.  John's- wort  Family. 

Stem. — One  or  two  feet  high,  often  pinkish,  later  bright  red.  Leaves. — 
Opposite,  set  close  to  the  stem  or  clasping  by  a  broad  base.  Flowers. — 
Pinkish  or  flesh-color,  small,  closely  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  stem  and 
in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals,  often  pinkish.  Corolla. 
— Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Nine,  in  three  sets,  the  sets  separated  by 
orange-colored  glands.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  styles. 

If  one  has  been  so  unlucky,  from  the  usual  point  of  view,  or 
so  fortunate,  looking  at  the  matter  with  the  eyes  of  the  flower- 
lover,  as  to  find  himself  in  a  rich  marsh  early  in  August,  his  eye 
is  likely  to  fall  upon  the  small,  pretty  pinkish  flowers  and  pale 
clasping  leaves  of  the  marsh  St.  John's-wort.  A  closer  inspec- 
tion will  discover  that  the  foliage  is  dotted  with  the  pellucid 
glands,  and  that  the  stamens  are  clustered  in  groups  after  the 
family  fashion.  Should  the  same  marsh  be  visited  a  few  weeks 
later  dashes  of  vivid  color  will  guide  one  to  the  spot  where  the 
little  pink  flowers  were  found.  In  their  place  glow  the  conspic- 
uous ovaries  and  bright  leaves  which  make  the  plant  very  notice- 
able in  late  August. 

Elodes  is  a  corruption  from  a  Greek  word  which  signifies 
growing  in  marshes. 

204 


PLATE  LXXIV 


Sabbatia  chloroides. 
205 


PINK 


ROSE  MALLOW.    SWAMP  MALLOW. 

Hibiscus  Moscheutos.     Mallow  Family. 

Stem. — Stout  and  tall,  four  to  eight  feet  high.  Leaves. — The  lower 
three-lobed,  the  upper  oblong,  whitish  and  downy  beneath.  Flowers. — 
Large  and  showy,  pink.  Calyx. — Five-cleft,  with  a  row  of  narrow  bractlets 
beneath.  Corolla. — Of  five  large  petals.  Stamens. — Many,  on  a  tube  which 
encloses  the  lower  part  of  the  style.  Pistils. — Five,  united  into  one,  with 
five  stigmas  which  are  like  pin-heads. 

When  the  beautiful  rose  mallow  slowly  unfolds  her  pink  ban- 
ner-like petals  and  admits  the  eager  bee  to  her  stores  of  golden 
pollen,  then  we  feel  that  the  summer  is  far  advanced.  As  truly 
as  the  wood  anemone  and  the  blood-root  seem  filled  with  the 
essence  of  spring  and  the  promise  of  the  opening  year,  so  does 
this  stately  flower  glow  with  the  maturity  and  fulfilment  of  late 
summer.  Here  is  none  of  the  timorousness  of  the  early  blossoms 
which  peep  shyly  out,  as  if  ready  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  should 
a  late  frost  overtake  them,  but  rather  a  calm  assurance  that  the 
time  is  ripe,  and  that  the  salt  marshes  and  brackish  ponds  are 
only  awaiting  their  rosy  lining. 

The  marsh  mallow,  whose  roots  yield  the  mucilaginous  sub- 
stance utilized  in  the  well-known  confection,  is  Althcea  officinalts, 
an  emigrant  from  Europe.  It  is  a  much  less  common  plant 
than  the  Hibiscus,  its  pale  pink  flowers  being  found  in  some  of 
the  salt  marshes  of  New  England  and  New  York. 

The  common  mallow,  Malva  rotundifolia,  which  overruns  the 
country  dooryards  and  village  waysides,  is  a  little  plant  with 
rounded,  heart-shaped  leaves  and  small  purplish  flowers.  It  is 
used  by  the  country  people  for  various  medicinal  purposes  and  is 
cultivated  and  commonly  boiled  with  meat  in  Egypt.  Job  pict- 
ures himself  as  being  despised  by  those  who  had  been  themselves 
so  destitute  as  to  "  cut  up  mallows  by  the  bushes.  ...  for 
their  meat."  * 

*  Job  xxx.  4. 
206 


PLATE  LXXV 


ROSE   MALLOW.— H.  Moscheutos. 
207 


PINK 


SALT  MARSH  FLEABANE. 

Pluchea  camphor  ata.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Pale,  thickish,  oblong  or  lance- 
shaped,  toothed.  Flower-heads. — Pink,  small,  in  flat-topped  clusters,  com- 
posed entirely  of  tubular  flowers. 

In  the  salt  marshes  where  we  find  the  starry  sea  pinks  and 
the  feathery  sea  lavender,  we  notice  a  pallid-looking  plant  whose 
pink  flower-buds  are  long  in  opening.  It  is  late  summer  or 
autumn  before  the  salt  marsh  fleabane  is  fairly  in  blossom. 
There  is  a  strong  fragrance  to  the  plant  which  hardly  suggests 
camphor,  despite  its  specific  title. 

HAIRY  WILLOW-HERB. 

Epilobitim  hirsutum.      Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Three  to  five  feet  high.  Stem. — Densely  hairy,  stout,  branching. 
Leaves. — Mostly  opposite,  lance-oblong,  finely  toothed.  Flower. — Purplish, 
pink,  small,  in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves,  or  in  a  leafy,  short  raceme. 
Calyx. — Four  or  five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  four  petals.  Stamens. — Eight. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  four-parted  stigma. 

The  hairy  willow-herb  is  found  in  waste  places,  blossoming 
in  midsummer.  It  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe. 

FIREWEED.    GREAT  WILLOW-HERB. 

Epilobit4m  angustifolium.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

Stem. — Four  to  seven  feet  high.  Leaves. — Scattered,  lance-shaped, 
willow-like.  Flowers. — Purplish-pink,  large,  in  a  long  raceme.  Calyx. — 
Four-cleft.  Corolla. —  Of  four  petals.  Stamens. —  Eight.  Pistil. —  One, 
with  a  four-lobed  stigma. 

In  midsummer  this  striking  plant  begins  to  mass  its  deep- 
hued  blossoms  along  the  roadsides  and  low  meadows.  It  is  sup- 
posed to  flourish  with  especial  abundance  in  land  that  has  newly 
been  burned  over;  hence,  its  common  name  of  fireweed.  Its 
willow-like  foliage  has  given  it  its  other  English  title.  The 
likeness  between  the  blossoms  of  this  plant  and  those  of  the 
evening  primrose  betray  their  kinship.  When  the  stamens  of 
the  fireweed  first  mature  and  discharge  their  pollen  the  still  im- 
mature style  is  curved  backward  and  downward  with  its  stigmas 
closed.  Later  it  straightens  and  lengthens  to  its  full  dimensions, 

208 


PLATE  LXXVI 


FIREWEED.— E.  angustifolium. 
209 


PINK 


so  spreading  its  four  stigmas  as  to  be  in  position  to  receive  the 
pollen  of  another  flower  from  the  visiting  bee. 


Epilobiiim  coloratum.     Evening  Primrose  Family. 

One  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Rather  large,  lance-shaped,  sharply 
toothed.  Flowers. — Pale  pink,  small,  more  or  less  nodding,  resembling 
in  structure  those  of  the  hairy  willow-herb.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  club- 
shaped  stigma. 

This  species  is  found  in  abundance  in  wet  places  in  summer. 


PURPLE  GERARDIA. 

Gerardia  purpurea.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  four  feet  high,  widely  branching.  Leaves. — Linear, 
sharply  pointed.  Flowers. — Bright  purplish-pink,  rather  large.  Calyx. — 
Five-toothed.  Corolla. — One  inch  long,  somewhat  tubular,  swelling  above, 
with  five  more  or  less  unequal,  spreading  lobes,  often  downy  and  spotted 
within.  Stamens. — Four,  in  pairs,  hairy.  Pistil. — One. 

In  late  summer  and  early  autumn  these  pretty  noticeable 
flowers  brighten  the  low-lying  ground  along  the  coast  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Great  Lakes.  The  sandy  fields  of  New 
England  and  Long  Island  are  oftentimes  a  vivid  mass  of  color 
owing  to  their  delicate  blossoms.  The  plant  varies  somewhat 
in  the  size  of  its  flowers  and  in  the  manner  of  its  growth. 

The  little  seaside  gerardia,  G.  maritima,  is  from  four  inches 
to  a  foot  high.  Its  smaller  blossoms  are  also  found  in  salt  marshes. 

The  slender  gerardia,  G.  tcnuifolia,  is  common  in  mountain- 
ous regions.  The  leaves  of  this  species  are  exceedingly  narrow. 
Like  the  false  foxglove  (PI.  LIX.)  and  other  members  of  this 
genus,  these  plants  are  supposed  to  be  parasitic  in  their  habits. 

JOE-PYE-WEED.      TRUMPET-WEED. 
Eupatoriwn  purpureum.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Stout  and  tall,  two  to  twelve  feet  high,  often  dotted.  Leaves. — 
In  whorls  of  three  to  six,  oblong  or  oval,  pointed,  rough,  veiny,  toothed. 
Flower-heads. — Purplish-pink,  small,  composed  entirely  of  tubular  blossoms, 
with  long  protruding  styles,  growing  in  large  clusters  at  or  near  the  summit  of 
the  stem. 

The  summer  is  nearly  over  when  the  tall,  conspicuous  Joe- 
Pye-weed  begins  to  tinge  with  "  crushed  raspberry  "  the  lowlands 

210 


PLATE  LXXVII 


JPE-PYE-WEED.— E.  purpureum. 
211 


PINK 


through  which  we  pass.  In  parts  of  the  country  it  is  nearly  as 
common  as  the  golden-rods  and  asters  which  appear  at  about 
the  same  season.  With  the  deep  purple  of  the  iron-weed  it  gives 
variety  to  the  intense  hues  which  herald  the  coming  of  autumn. 
' '  Joe  Pye  ' '  is  said  to  have  been  the  name  of  an  Indian  who 
cured  typhus  fever  in  New  England  by  means  of  this  plant.  The 
tiny  trumpet-shaped  blossoms  which  make  up  the  flower-heads 
may  have  suggested  the  other  common  name. 

PINK  KNOTWEED. 

Polygonum  Pennsylvanicum.     Buckwheat  Family. 

One  to  four  feet  high.  Stein. — Branching.  Leaves. — Alternate,  lance- 
shaped.  Flowers. —  Bright  pink,  growing  in  thick,  short,  erect  spikes. 
Calyx. — Mostly  five-parted,  the  divisions  petal-like,  pink.  Corolla. — 
None.  Stamens. — Usually  eight.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-cleft  style. 

In  late  summer  this  plant  can  hardly  escape  notice.  Its 
erect  pink  spikes  direct  attention  to  some  neglected  corner  in 
the  garden  or  brighten  the  fields  and  roadsides.  The  rosy  divi- 
sions of  the  calyx  persist  till  after  the  fruit  has  formed,  pressing 
closely  against  the  dark  seed-vessel  within. 

SAND  KNOTWEED. 

Polygonella  articulata.     (Formerly  Polygonum   articulatum.)     Buckwheat 

Family. 

Erect,  branching,  four  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Linear,  incon- 
spicuous. Flowers. — Rose-color,  nodding,  in  very  slender  racemes,  Calyx. 
— Five-parted.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Eight.  Pistil. — One,  with 
three  styles. 

Under  date  of  September  26th,  Thoreau  writes :  "  The 
Polygonum  articulatum,  giving  a  rosy  tinge  to  Jenny's  desert,  is 
very  interesting  now,  with  its  slender  dense  racemes  of  rose-tinted 
flowers,  apparently  without  leaves,  rising  cleanly  out  of  the  sand. 
It  looks  warm  and  brave,  a  foot  or  more  high,  and  mingled  with 
deciduous  blue  curls.  It  is  much  divided,  with  many  spreading, 
slender-racemed  branches,  with  inconspicuous  linear  leaves,  re- 
minding me,  both  by  its  form  and  its  colors,  of  a  peach-orchard 
in  blossom,  especially  when  the  sunlight  falls  on  it ;  minute  rose- 

212 


PINK 


tinted  flowers  that  brave  the  frosts,  and  advance  the  summer  into 
fall,  warming  with  their  color  sandy  hill-sides  and  deserts,  like 
the  glow  of  evening  reflected  on  the  sand,  apparently  all  flower 
and  no  leaf.  Rising  apparently  with  clean  bare  stems  from  the 
sand,  it  spreads  out  into  this  graceful  head  of  slender,  rosy  ra- 
cemes, wisp-like.  This  little  desert  of  less  than  an  acre  blushes 
with  it." 


NOTE. — The  Moss  Pink,  Phlox  subulata,  with  purple-pink  flowers,  and 
Phlox  glaberrima,  with  pink  or  whitish  flowers,  will  be  found  in  the  Blue 
and  Purple  section  (p.  235).  The  Mountain  Laurel  (p.  57)  and  the  American 
Rhododendron  (p.  60)  are  frequently  found  bearing  pink  flowers.  At  times 
it  has  been  difficult  to  determine  whether  certain  flowers  should  be  described 
in  the  Pink  or  in  the  Purple  section.  The  reader  should  bear  this  in  mind, 
consulting  both  in  dubious  cases. 


213 


IV 


RED 


WILD  COLUMBINE. 

Aquilegia  Canadensis.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Twelve  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Stem. — Branching.  Leaves. — Much- 
divided,  the  leaflets  lobed.  Flowers. — Large,  bright  red,  yellow  within, 
nodding.  Calyx. — Of  five  red  petal-like  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals 
in  the  form  of  large  hollow  spurs,  which  are  red  without  and  yellow  within. 
Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistils. — Five,  with  slender  styles. 

— A  woodland  walk, 

A  quest  of  river-grapes,  a  mocking  thrush, 
A  wild-rose  or  rock-loving  columbine, 
Salve  my  worst  wounds, 

declares  Emerson  ;  and  while  perhaps  few  among  us  are  able  to 
make  so  light-hearted  and  sweeping  a  claim  for  ourselves,  yet 
many  will  admit  the  soothing  power  of  which  the  woods  and 
fields  know  the  secret,  and  will  own  that  the  ordinary  annoy- 
ances of  life  may  be  held  more  or  less  in  abeyance  by  one  who 
lives  in  close  sympathy  with  nature. 

About  the  columbine  there  is  a  daring  loveliness  which 
stamps  it  on  the  memories  of  even  those  who  are  not  ordinarily 
minute  observers.  It  contrives  to  secure  a  foothold  in  the  most 
precipitous  and  uncertain  of  nooks,  its  jewel-like  flowers  gleam- 
ing from  their  lofty  perches  with  a  graceful  insouciance  which 
awakens  our  sportsmanlike  instincts  and  fires  us  with  the  ambi- 
tion to  equal  it  in  daring  and  make  its  loveliness  our  own.  Per- 
haps it  is  as  well  if  our  greediness  be  foiled  and  we  get  a  tumble 
for  our  pains,  for  no  flower  loses  more  with  its  surroundings 
than  the  columbine.  Indeed,  these  destructive  tendencies  which 
are  strong  within  most  of  us  generally  defeat  themselves  by  de- 
creasing our  pleasure  in  a  blossom  the  moment  we  have  ruthlessly 
and  without  purpose  snatched  it  from  its  environment.  If  we 

214 


PLATE    LXXVIII 


Fruit. 


WILD   COLUMBINE— 4.  Canadensis. 
215 


RED 

honestly  wish  to  study  its  structure,  or  to  bring  into  our  homes 
for  preservation  a  bit  of  the  woods'  loveliness,  its  interest  and 
beauty  are  sure  to  repay  us.  But  how  many  pluck  every  strik- 
ing flower  they  see  only  to  toss  it  carelessly  aside  when  they 
reach  their  destination,  if  they  have  not  already  dropped  it  by 
the  way.  Surely  if  in  such  small  matters  sense  and  self-control 
were  inculcated  in  children,  more  would  grow  up  to  the  poet's 
standard  of  worthiness  : 

Hast  thou  named  all  the  birds  without  a  gun  ? 

Loved  the  wood-rose  and  left  it  on  its  stalk? 

At  rich  men's  tables  eaten  bread  and  pulse  ? 

Unarmed,  faced  danger  with  a  heart  of  trust  f 

And  loved  so  well  a  high  behavior, 

In  man  or  maid,  that  thou  from  speech  refrained, 

Nobility  more  nobly  to  repay  ? 

O,  be  my  friend,  and  teach  me  to  be  thine  !  * 

The  name  of  columbine  is  derived  from  colomba — a  dove,  but 
its  significance  is  disputed.  Some  believe  that  it  was  associated 
with  the  bird-like  claws  of  the  blossom ;  while  Dr.  Prior  main- 
tains that  it  refers  to  the  "  resemblance  of  its  nectaries  to  the 
heads  of  pigeons  in  a  ring  around  a  dish,  a  favorite  device  of 
ancient  artists." 

The  meaning  of  the  generic  title  is  also  doubtful.  Gray  de- 
rives it  from  aquilegus — water-drawing,  but  gives  no  further  ex- 
planation, while  other  writers  claim  that  it  is  from  aquila,  an 
eagle,  seeing  a  likeness  to  the  talons  of  an  eagle  in  the  curved 
nectaries. 

WAKE  ROBIN.    BIRTHROOT. 

Trillium  erecttim.    Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  from  a  tuber-like  rootstock.  Leaves. — Broadly  ovate,  three 
in  a  whorl  a  short  distance  below  the  flower.  Flower. — Single,  terminal, 
usually  purplish-red,  occasionally  whitish,  pinkish,  or  greenish,  on  an  erect 
or  somewhat  inclined  flower-stalk.  Calyx. —  Of  three  green  spreading  se- 
pals. Corolla. — Of  three  large  lance-shaped  petals.  Stamens. — Six.  Pis- 
til.— One,  with  three  large  spreading  stigmas.  Fruit. — A  large,  ovate,  six- 
angled  reddish  berry. 

This  wake  robin  is  one  of  the  few  self-assertive  flowers  of  the 
early  year.  Its  contemporaries  act  as  if  somewhat  uncertain  as 

*  Emerson. 
216 


PLATE  LXXIX 


Fruit. 


WAKE   ROBIN.— T.  erectum. 
217 


RED 


to  whether  the  spring  had  really  come  to  stay,  but  no  such  lack 
of  confidence  possesses  our  brilliant  young  friend,  who  almost 
flaunts  her  lurid  petals  in  your  face,  as  if  to  force  upon  you  the 
welcome  news  that  the  time  of  birds  and  flowers  is  at  hand. 
Pretty  and  suggestive  as  is  the  common  name,  it  is  hardly  appro- 
priate, as  the  robins  have  been  on  the  alert  for  many  days  be- 
fore our  flower  unfurls  its  crimson  signal.  Its  odor  is  most  un- 
pleasant. Its  reddish  fruit  is  noticeable  in  the  woods  of  late 
summer. 

The  sessile  trillium,  T.  sessile,  has  no  separate  flower-stalk, 
its  red  or  greenish  blossom  being  set  close  to  the  stem  leaves. 
Its  petals  are  narrower,  and  its  leaves  are  often  blotched  or 
spotted.  Its  berry  is  globular,  six-angled,  and  red  or  purplish. 

The  wake  robins  are  native  to  North  America,  only  one 
species  being  found  just  beyond  the  boundaries  in  the  Russian 
territory. 

WOOD  BETONY.    LOUSEWORT. 

Pedicularis  Canadcnsis.     Figwort  Family. 

Stems. — Clustered,  five  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — The  lower  ones 
deeply  incised,  the  upper  less  so.  Flowers. — Yellow  and  red,  growing  in  a 
short  dense  spike.  Calyx. — Of  one  piece  split  in  front.  Corolla. — Two- 
lipped,  the  narrow  upper  lip  arched,  the  lower  three-lobed.  Stamens. — 
Four.  Pistil.—  One. 

The  bright  flowers  of  the  wood  betony  are  found  in  our  May 
woods,  often  in  the  company  of  the  columbine  and  yellow  vio- 
let. Near  Philadelphia  they  are  said  to  be  among  the  very  ear- 
liest of  the  flowers,  coming  soon  after  the  trailing  arbutus.  In 
the  later  year  the  plant  attracts  attention  by  its  uncouth  spikes 
of  brown  seed-pods. 

Few  wayside  weeds  have  been  accredited  with  greater  virtue 
than  the  ancient  betony,  which  a  celebrated  Roman  physician 
claimed  could  cure  forty-seven  different  disorders.  The  Roman 
proverb,  "  Sell  your  coat  and  buy  betony,"  seems  to  imply  that 
the  plant  did  not  flourish  so  abundantly  along  the  Appian  Way 
as  it  does  by  our  American  roadsides.  Unfortunately  we  are 
reluctantly  forced  to  believe  once  more  that  our  native  flower  is 

218 


RED 

not  identical  with  the  classic  one,  but  that  it  has  received  its 
common  name  through  some  superficial  resemblance  to  the  origi- 
nal betony  or  Betonica. 

PAINTED  CUP. 

Castilleia  coccinea.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Hairy,  six  inches  to  a  foot  high.  Root-leaves. — Clustered,  oblong. 
Stem-leaves. — Incised,  those  among  the  flowers  three  to  five-cleft,  bright 
scarlet  toward  the  summit,  showy.  Flowers. — Pale  yellow,  spiked.  Calyx. 
— Tubular,  flattened.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  its  upper  lip  long  and  narrow, 
its  lower  short  and  three-lobed.  Stamens. — Four,  unequal.  Pistil. — One. 

Scarlet  tufts 

Are  glowing  in  the  green  like  flakes  of  fire  ; 
The  wanderers  of  the  prairie  know  them  well, 
And  call  that  brilliant  flower  the  painted  cup.* 

But  we  need  not  go  to  the  prairie  in  order  to  see  this  plant, 
for  it  is  equally  abundant  in  certain  low  sandy  New  England 
meadows  as  well  as  in  the  near  vicinity  of  New  York  City. 
Under  date  of  June  3d,  Thoreau  graphically  describes  its  ap- 
pearance near  Concord,  Mass.:  "The  painted  cup  is  in  its 
prime.  It  reddens  the  meadow,  painted-cup  meadow.  It  is  a 
splendid  show  of  brilliant  scarlet,  the  color  of  the  cardinal 
flower,  and  surpassing  it  in  mass  and  profusion.  .  .  .  I  do 
not  like  the  name.  It  does  not  remind  me  of  a  cup,  rather  of  a 
flame  when  it  first  appears.  It  might  be  called  flame  flower,  or 
scarlet  tip.  Here  is  a  large  meadow  full  of  it,  and  yet  very  few 
in  the  town  have  ever  seen  it.  It  is  startling  to  see  a  leaf  thus 
brilliantly  painted,  as  if  its  tip  were  dipped  into  some  scarlet 
tincture,  surpassing  most  flowers  in  intensity  of  color. " 

WOOD  LILY.    WILD  RED  LILY. 

Lilium  Philadclphicum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Two  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Whorled  or  scattered,  narrowly 
lance-shaped.  Flower. — Erect,  orange-red  or  scarlet,  spotted  with  purple. 
Perianth. — Of  six  erect  narrowly  clawed  sepals,  with  nectar-bearing  furrows 
at  their  base.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One,  with  three-lobed  stigma. 

Here  and  there  in  the  shadowy  woods  is  a  vivid  dash  of  color 
made  by  some  wild  red  lily  which  has  caught  a  stray  sunbeam 

*  Bryant. 
219 


RED 


in  its  glowing  cup.  The  purple  spots  on  its  sepals  guide  the 
greedy  bee  to  the  nectar  at  their  base  ;  we  too  can  take  the  hint 
and  reap  a  sweet  reward  if  we  will,  after  which  we  are  more  in 
sympathy  with  those  eager,  humming  bees. 

This  erect,  deep-hued  flower  is  so  different  from  its  nodding 
sister  of  the  meadows,  that  we  wonder  that  the  two  should  be  so 
often  confused.  When  seen  away  from  its  surroundings  it  has 
less  charm  perhaps  than  either  the  yellow  or  the  Turk's-cap  lily  ; 
but  when  it  rears  itself  in  the  cool  depths  of  its  woodland  home 
we  feel  the  uniqueness  of  its  beauty. 

TURK'S  CAP  LILY. 

Lilium  superbum.     Lily  Family. 

Stem. — Three  to  seven  feet  high.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped,  the  lower 
whorled.  Flowers. — Orange  or  scarlet,  with  purple  spots  within,  three 
inches  long,  from  three  to  forty  growing  in  pyramidal  clusters.  Perianth. — 
Of  six  strongly  recurved  sepals.  Stamens. — Six,  with  long  anthers.  Pistil. 
— One,  with  a  three-lobed  stigma. 

Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how  they  grow  ; 

They  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin ; 

And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  that  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory 

Was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these. 

How  they  come  back  to  us,  the  beautiful  hackneyed  lines, 
and  flash  into  our  memories  with  new  significance  of  meaning 
when  we  chance  suddenly  upon  a  meadow  bordered  with  these 
the  most  gorgeous  of  our  wild  flowers. 

We  might  doubt  whether  our  native  lilies  at  all  resembled 
those  alluded  to  in  the  scriptural  passage,  if  we  did  not  know 
that  a  nearly  allied  species  grew  abundantly  in  Palestine ;  for  we 
have  reason  to  believe  that  lily  was  a  title  freely  applied  by  many 
Oriental  poets  to  any  beautiful  flower. 

Perhaps  this  plant  never  attains  far  inland  the  same  luxuri- 
ance of  growth  which  is  common  to  it  in  some  of  the  New  Eng- 
land lowlands  near  the  coast.  Its  radiant,  nodding  blossoms 
are  seen  in  great  profusion  as  we  travel  by  rail  from  New  York 
to  Boston. 


220 


PLATE  LXXX 


WOOD   LILY.— L.  PMladelphicum. 
221 


RED 


HOUND'S  TONGUE. 

Cynoglossum  officinale.     Borage  Family. 

Stem. — Clothed  with  soft  hairs.  Leaves. — Alternate,  hairy,  the  upper 
ones  lance-shaped,  clasping  somewhat  by  a  rounded  or  heart-shaped  base. 
Flowers. —  Purplish-red,  growing  in  a  curved  raceme-like  cluster  which 
straightens  as  the  blossoms  expand.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — 
Funnel-form,  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. — A  large 
nutlet  roughened  with  barbed  or  hooked  prickles. 

This  coarse  plant,  whose  disagreeable  odor  strongly  suggests 
mice,  is  not  only  a  troublesome  weed  in  pasture-land  but  a 
special  annoyance  to  wool-growers,  as  its  prickly  fruit  adheres 
with  pertinacity  to  the  fleece  of  sheep.  Its  common  name  is  a 
translation  of  its  generic  title  and  refers  to  the  shape  and  texture 
of  the  leaves.  The  dull  red  flowers  appear  in  summer. 


.     BUTTERFLY-WEED.    PLEURISY-ROOT. 

Asclepias  tuberosa.      Milkweed  Family. 

Stem. — Rough  and  hairy,  one  or  two  feet  high,  erect,  very  leafy,  branch- 
ing at  the  summit,  without  milky  juice.  Leaves. — Linear  to  narrowly  lance- 
shaped.  Flowers. —  Bright  orange -red,  in  flat  -  topped,  terminal  clusters, 
otherwise  closely  resembling  those  of  the  common  milkweed  (p.  192.)  Fruit. 
— Two  hoary  erect  pods,  one  of  them  often  stunted. 

Few  if  any  of  our  native  plants  add  more  to  the  beauty  of  the 
midsummer  landscape  than  the  milkweeds,  and  of  this  family  no 
member  is  more  satisfying  to  the  color-craving  eye  than  the 
gorgeous  butterfly-weed,  whose  vivid  flower-clusters  flame  from 
the  dry  sandy  meadows  with  such  luxuriance  of  growth  as  to 
seem  almost  tropical.  Even  in  the  tropics  one  hardly  sees  any- 
thing more  brilliant  than  the  great  masses  of  color  made  by 
these  flowers  along  some  of  our  New  England  railways  in  July, 
while  farther  south  they  are  said  to  grow  even  more  profuse- 
ly. Its  gay  coloring  has  given  the  plant  its  name  of  butterfly- 
weed,  while  that  of  pleurisy-root  arose  from  the  belief  that 
the  thick,  deep  root  was  a  remedy  for  pleurisy.  The  Indians 
used  it  as  food  and  prepared  a  crude  sugar  from  the  flowers ;  the 
young  seed-pods  they  boiled  and  ate  with  buffalo-meat.  The 
plant  is  worthy  of  cultivation  and  is  easily  transplanted,  as  the 
fleshy  roots  when  broken  in  pieces  form  new  plants.  Oddly 

222 


PLATE  LXXXI 


Fruit. 


BUTTERFLY-WEED.-^,  tubcrosa. 
223 


RED 


enough,  at  the  Centennial  much  attention  was  attracted  by 
a  bed  of  these  beautiful  plants  which  were  brought  from  Hol- 
land. Truly,  flowers  like  prophets  are  not  without  honor  save 
in  their  own  country. 

EUROPEAN  HAWKWEED.    DEVIL'S  PAINTBRUSH. 

Hieracium  aurantiacum.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Hairy,  erect.  Leaves. — Hairy,  oblong,  close  to  the  ground. 
Flower-heads.  —  Orange-red,  composed  entirely  of  strap  -  shaped  flowers, 
clustered. 

In  parts  of  New  York  and  of  New  England  the  midsummer 
meadows  are  ablaze  with  the  brilliant  orange-red  flowers  of  this 
striking  European  weed.  It  is  among  the  more  recent  emi- 
grants to  this  country  and  bids  fair  to  become  an  annoyance  to 
the  farmer,  hence  its  not  altogether  inappropriate  title  of  devil's 
paintbrush.  In  England  it  was  called  "  Grimm  the  Collier,"  on 
account  of  its  black  hairs  and  after  a  comedy  of  the  same  title 
which  was  popular  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Both 
its  common  and  generic  names  refer  to  an  ancient  superstition 
to  the  effect  that  birds  of  prey  used  the  juice  of  this  genus  to 
strengthen  their  eyesight. 

OSWEGO  TEA.    BEE  BALM. 

Monarda  didyma.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Square,  erect,  about  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  ovate, 
pointed,  aromatic ;  those  near  the  flowers  tinged  with  red.  flowers. — 
Bright  red,  clustered  in  a  close  round  head.  Calyx. — Reddish,  five-toothed. 
Corolla.  —  Elongated,  tubular,  two-lipped.  Stamens. — Two,  elongated, 
protruding.  PistiL  —  One,  with  a  two-lobed  style,  protruding. 

We  have  so  few  red  flowers  that  when  one  flashes  suddenly 
upon  us  it  gives  us  a  pleasant  thrill  of  wonder  and  surprise. 
Then  red  flowers  know  so  well  how  to  enhance  their  beauty  by 
seeking  an  appropriate  setting.  They  select  the  rich  green  back- 
grounds only  found  in  moist,  shady  places,  and  are  peculiarly 
charming  when  associated  with  a  lonely  marsh  or  a  mountain 
brook.  The  bee  balm  especially  haunts  these  cool  nooks,  and 

224 


PLATE  LXXXII 


Single  flower. 


OSWEGO  TEA.— M.  didyma. 
225 


RED 


its  rounded  flower-clusters  touch  with  warmth  the  shadows  of 
the  damp  woods  of  midsummer.  The  Indians  named  the  flower 
O-gee-chee — flaming  flower,  and  are  said  to  have  made  a  tea-like 
decoction  from  the  blossoms. 

PIMPERNEL.    POOR-MAN' S-WEATHER-GLASS. 

Andgallis  arvensis.     Primrose  Family. 

Steins. — Low,  spreading.  Leaves. — Opposite,  ovate,  set  close  to  the 
stem.  Floivers. — Red,  occasionally  blue  or  white,  growing  singly  from  the 
axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five-parted,  wheel- 
shaped.  Stamens. — Five,  with  bearded  filaments.  Pistil. — One. 

This  flower  is  found  in  sandy  fields,  being  noted  for  its 
sensitiveness  to  the  weather.  It  folds  its  petals  at  the  approach 
of  rain,  and  fails  to  open  at  all  on  a  wet  or  cloudy  day.  Even 
in  fine  weather  it  closes  in  the  early  afternoon  and  "  sleeps  "  till 
the  next  morning.  Its  ripened  seeds  are  of  value  as  food  for 
many  song-birds.  It  was  thought  at  one  time  to  be  serviceable 
in  liver  complaints,  which  reputed  virtue  may  have  given  rise  to 
the  old  couplet  : 

No  ear  hath  heard,  no  tongue  can  tell 
The  virtues  of  the  pimpernel. 

CARDINAL-FLOWER. 

Lobelia  cardinalis.     Lobelia  Family. 

Stem. — From  two  to  four  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate,  narrowly 
oblong,  slightly  toothed.  Flowers. — Bright  red,  growing  in  a  raceme. 
Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  of  two 
rather  erect  lobes,  the  lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Five, 
united  into  a  tube.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  fringed  stigma. 

We  have  no  flower  which  can  vie  with  this  in  vivid  color- 
ing. In  late  summer  its  brilliant  red  gleams  from  the  marshes 
or  is  reflected  from  the  shadowy  water's  edge  with  unequalled 

intensity — 

As  if  some  wounded  eagle's  breast 

Slow  throbbing  o'er  the  plain, 
Had  left  its  airy  path  impressed 

In  drops  of  scarlet  rain.* 

The  early  French  Canadians  were  so  struck  with  its  beauty  that 
they  sent  the  plant  to  France  as  a  specimen  of  what  the  wilds  of 

*  Holmes. 
226 


PLATE    LXXXIII 


CARDINAL-FLOWER.-Z/.  cardinalis. 
227 


RED 

the  New  World  could  yield.  Perhaps  at  that  time  it  received 
its  English  name  which  likens  it  to  the  gorgeously  attired  dig- 
nitaries of  the  Roman  Church. 

TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE. 

Lonicera  sempervirens.     Honeysuckle  Family. 

A  twining  shrub.  Leaves. — Entire,  opposite,  oblong,  the  upper  pairs 
united  around  the  stem.  Flowers. — Deep  red  without,  yellowish  within ; 
in  close  clusters  from  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Calyx. — With  very 
short  teeth.  Corolla. — Trumpet-shaped,  five-lobed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pis- 
til. — One.  Fruit. — A  red  or  orange  berry. 

Many  of  us  are  so  familiar  with  these  flowers  in  our  gardens 
that  we  have,  perhaps,  considered  them  "escapes"  when  we 
found  them  brightening  the  pasture  thicket  where  really  they  are 
most  at  home,  appearing  at  any  time  from  May  till  October. 

The  fragrant  woodbine,  L.  grata,  is  also  frequently  culti- 
vated. Its  natural  home  is  the  rocky  woodlands,  where  its  sweet- 
scented  whitish  or  yellowish  flowers  appear  in  May.  Its  sta- 
mens and  style  protrude  conspicuously  beyond  the  corolla-tube, 
which  is  an  inch  in  length. 

The  greenish  or  yellowish  flowers  of  the  fly  honeysuckle,  L. 
ciliata,  grow  in  pairs.  They  are  found  in  the  rocky  woods  of 
May,  on  an  erect,  bushy  shrub,  the  leaves  of  which  are  all  dis- 
tinct, never  meeting  about  the  stem. 


228 


V 
BLUE  AND   PURPLE 

LIVERWORT.    LIVER-LEAF. 

Hepatica  triloba.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Scape. — Fuzzy,  one-flowered.  Leaves. — Rounded,  three-lobed,  from  the 
root.  Flowers. — Blue,  white,  or  pinkish.  Calyx. — Of  six  to  twelve  petal- 
like  sepals  ;  easily  taken  for  a  corolla,  because  directly  underneath  are  three 
little  leaves  which  resemble  a  calyx.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Usually 
numerous.  Pistils. — Several. 

The  liver-leaf  puts  forth  her  sister  blooms 
Of  faintest  blue— 

soon  after  the  late  snows  have  melted.  Indeed  these  fragile- 
looking,  enamel-like  flowers  are  sometimes  found  actually  be- 
neath the  snow,  and  form  one  of  the  many  instances  which  we 
encounter  among  flowers,  as  among  their  human  contempo- 
raries, where  the  frail  and  delicate-looking  withstand  storm  and 
stress  far  better  than  their  more  robust-appearing  brethren. 
We  welcome  these  tiny  newcomers  with  especial  joy,  not  alone 
for  their  delicate  beauty,  but  because  they  are  usually  the  first 
of  all  the  flowers  upon  the  scene  of  action,  if  we  rule  out  the 
never-tardy  skunk-cabbage.  The  rusty  leaves  of  last  summer 
are  obliged  to  suffice  for  the  plant's  foliage  until  some  little  time 
after  the  blossoms  have  appeared,  when  the  young  fresh  leaves 
begin  to  uncurl  themselves.  Some  one  has  suggested  that  the 
fuzzy  little  buds  look  as  though  they  were  still  wearing  their 
furs  as  a  protection  against  the  wintry  weather  which  so  often 
stretches  late  into  our  spring.  The  flowers  vary  in  color  from  a 
lovely  blue  to  pink  or  white.  They  are  found  chiefly  in  the 
woods,  but  occasionally  on  the  sunny  hill-sides  as  well. 

The  generic  name,  Hepatica,  is  from  the  Greek  for  liver,  and 
was  probably  given  to  the  plant  on  account  of  the  shape  of  its 
leaf.  Dr.  Prior  says  that  ' ( in  consequence  of  this  fancied  like- 

229 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

ness  it  was  used  as  a  remedy  for  liver-complaints,  the  common 
people  having  long  labored  under  the  belief  that  nature  in- 
dicated in  some  such  fashion  the  uses  to  which  her  creations 
might  be  applied." 

COMMON  BLUE  VIOLET. 

Viola  cucullata.     Violet  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  one -flowered.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped,  all  from  the 
root.  Flowers. — Varying  from  a  pale  blue  to  deep  purple,  borne  singly  on 
a  scape.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals  extended  into  ears  at  the  base.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  somewhat  unequal  petals,  the  lower  one  spurred  at  the  base.  Sta- 
mens.— Short  and  broad,  somewhat  united  around  the  pistil.  Pistil. — One 
with  a  club-shaped  style  and  bent  stigma. 

Perhaps  this  is  the  best-beloved  as  well  as  the  best-known  of 
the  early  wild  flowers.  Whose  heart  has  not  been  gladdened  at 
one  time  or  another  by  a  glimpse  of  some  fresh  green  nook  in 
early  May  where 

— purple  violets  lurk, 
With  all  the  lovely  children  of  the  shade  ? 

It  seems  as  if  no  other  flower  were  so  suggestive  of  the  dawning 
year,  so  associated  with  the  days  when  life  was  full  of  promise. 
Although  I  believe  that  more  than  a  hundred  species  of  violets 
have  been  recorded,  only  about  thirty  are  found  in  our  country ; 
of  these  perhaps  twenty  are  native  to  the  Northeastern  States. 
Unfortunately  we  have  no  strongly  sweet-scented  species,  none 

— sweeter  than  the  lids  of  Juno's  eyes 
Or  Cytherea's  breath, — 

as  Shakespeare  found  the  English  blossom.  Prophets  and  war- 
riors as  well  as  poets  have  favored  the  violet ;  Mahomet  preferred 
it  to  all  other  flowers,  and  it  was  chosen  by  the  Bonapartes  as 
their  emblem. 

Perhaps  its  frequent  mention  by  ancient  writers  is  explained 
by  the  discovery  that  the  name  was  one  applied  somewhat  indis- 
criminately to  sweet-scented  blossoms. 

The  bird-foot  violet,  V.  pedata,  unlike  other  members  of  the 
family,  has  leaves  which  are  divided  into  linear  lobes.  Its  flower 
is  peculiarly  lovely,  being  large  and  velvety.  The  variety,  V.  bi- 

230  . 


PLATE  LXXXIV 


LIVERWORT.— H.  triloba. 
231 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

color,  is  especially  striking  and  pansy-like,  its  two  upper  petals 
being  of  a  deeper  hue  than  the  others.  It  is  found  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Washington  in  abundance,  and  on  the  shaly  soil  of 
New  Jersey. 

An  interesting  feature  of  many  of  these  plants  is  their  cleis- 
togamous  flowers.  These  are  small  and  inconspicuous  blossoms, 
which  never  open  (thus  guarding  their  pollen  against  all  depreda- 
tions), but  which  are  self-fertilized,  ripening  their  seeds  in  the 
dark.  They  are  usually  found  near  or  beneath  the  ground,  and 
are  often  taken  for  immature  buds. 

DOG  VIOLET. 

Viola  canina,  var.  Mnhlenbergii.     Violet  Family. 

Three  to  eight  inches  high.  Stems. — Leafy.  l,eaves. — Heart-shaped, 
wavy-toothed.  Flowers. — Pale  violet. 

This  is  the  commonest  blue  species  of  the  leafy  stemmed  vio- 
lets. It  is  found  in  wet,  shady  places  from  May  till  July. 

BLUETS.    QUAKER  LADIES. 

Houstonia  cterulea.     Madder  Family. 

Stem. — Erect,  three  to  five  inches  high.  Leaves. — Very  small,  opposite. 
Flowers. — Small,  delicate  blue,  lilac,  or  nearly  white,  with  a  yellowish  eye. 
Calyx. — Four-lobed.  Corolla. — Salver  -  shaped,  four  -  lobed,  corolla  -  tube 
long  and  slender.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

No  one  who  has  been  in  the  Berkshire  Hills  during  the  month 
of  May  can  forget  the  loveliness  of  the  bluets.  The  roadsides, 
meadows,  and  even  the  lawns,  are  thickly  carpeted  with  the 
dainty  enamel-like  blossoms  which  are  always  pretty,  but  which 
seem  to  flourish  with  especial  vigor  and  in  great  profusion  in 
this  lovely  region.  Less  plentiful,  perhaps,  but  still  common  is 
the  little  plant  in  grassy  places  far  south  and  west,  blossoming  in 
early  spring. 

The  flowers  are  among  those  which  botanists  term  "  dimor- 
phous." This  word  signifies  occurring  in  two  forms,  and  refers 
to  the  stamens  and  pistils,  which  vary  in  size,  some  flowers  hav- 
ing a  tall  pistil  and  short  stamens,  others  tall  stamens  and  a  short 

232 


PLATE  LXXXV 


BLUETS.— H.  ccerulea. 
233 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

pistil.  Darwin  has  proved,  not  only  that  one  of  these  flowers 
can  seldom  fully  fertilize  itself,  but  that  usually  the  blossoms 
with  tall  pistils  must  be  fertilized  with  pollen  from  the  tall  sta-v 
mens,  and  that  the  short  pistils  are  only  acted  upon  by  the  short 
stamens.  With  a  good  magnifier  and  a  needle  these  two  forms 
can  easily  be  studied.  This  is  one  of  the  many  interesting  safe- 
guards against  close-fertilization. 

BLUEBELLS.    VIRGINIAN  COWSLIP.    LUNGWORT. 

Mertensia  Virginica.     Borage  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Stem. — Smooth,  pale,  erect.  Leaves. — Oblong, 
veiny.  Flowers. — Blue,  pinkish  in  bud,  in  raceme-like  clusters  which  are 
rolled  up  from  the  end  and  straighten  as  the  flowers  expand.  Calyx. — Five- 
cleft.  Corolla. — Trumpet-shaped,  one  inch  long,  spreading.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil. — One. 

These  very  lovely  blossoms  are  found  in  moist  places  during 
April  and  May  in  parts  of  New  York  as  well  as  south  and  west- 
ward. The  English  naturalist,  Mr.  Alfred  Wallace,  seeing  them, 
for  the  first  time,  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati,  writes  in  the 
Fortnightly  Review:  "  In  a  damp  river-bottom,  the  exquisite 
blue  Mertensia  Virginica  was  found.  It  is  called  here  the  '  Vir- 
ginian cowslip,'  its  drooping  porcelain-blue  bells  being  somewhat 
of  the  size  and  form  of  those  of  the  true  cowslip." 


BLUE-EYED  MARY.    INNOCENCE. 

Collinsia  verna.     Figwort  Family. 

Six  to  twenty  inches  high.  Stems. — Branching,  slender.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite, the  lower  oval,  the  upper  ovate — lance-shaped,  clasping  by  the  heart- 
shaped  base.  Flowers. — Blue  and  white,  long-stalked,  appearing  whorled 
in  the  axils  of  the  upper  leaves.  Calyx. — Deeply  five-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Deeply  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  two-cleft,  the  lower  three-cleft.  Stamens. 
— Four.  Pistil. — One. 

Unfortunately  these  dainty  flowers  are  not  found  farther 
east  than  Western  New  York.  From  there  they  spread  south 
and  westward,  abounding  so  plentifully  in  the  vicinity  of  Cin- 
cinnati that  the  moist  meadows  are  blue  with  their  blossoms  in 
spring  or  early  summer. 

234 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

FORGET-ME-NOT. 

Mysotis  laxa.     Borage  Family. 

Stems. — Slender.  Leaves. — Alternate,  lance-oblong.  Florvers. — Blue, 
small,  growing  in  a  raceme.  Calyx. — Five-lobed.  Corolla. — Salver-shaped, 
five-toothed.  Stamens. — Five.  Pistil. — One. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  stream,  and  in  low  wet  places,  we 
may  look  for  these  exquisite  little  flowers.  This  plant  is  smaller 
and  less  luxuriant  than  the  European  species,  blossoming  in  early 
summer. 

WILD  PHLOX. 

Phlox  divaricata.     Polemonium  Family. 

Nine  to  eighteen  inches  high.  Stems. — Spreading  or  ascending.  Leaves. 
— Opposite,  oblong  or  lance-oblong,  Flowers. — Pale  lilac-purple,  in  a  loose, 
spreading  cluster.  Calyx. — With  five  slender  teeth.  Corolla. — With  a  five- 
parted  border,  salver-shaped,  with  a  long  tube.  Stamens. — Five,  unequally 
inserted  in  the  tube  of  the  corolla.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  three-lobed  style. 

We  may  search  for  these  graceful,  delicately  tinted  flowers  in 
the  rocky  woods  of  April  and  May. 

Nearly  allied  to  them  is  the  wild  sweet  William,  P.  maculata, 
the  pink-purple  blossoms  of  which  are  found  along  the  streams 
and  in  the  rich  woods  of  somewhat  southern  localities. 

The  beautiful  moss  pink,  P.  subulata,  is  also  a  member  of 
this  genus.  This  little  evergreen  heath-like  plant  clothes  the 
dry  hill-sides  with  a  glowing  mantle  of  purple-pink  every  spring, 
Southern  New  York  being  probably  its  most  northerly  range  in 
our  Eastern  States.  Great  masses  of  these  flowers  may  be  seen 
covering  the  rocks  in  the  Central  Park  in  May. 

The  pink  or  whitish  clusters  of  P.  glaberrima  are  found  in 
the  open  woods  and  prairies  somewhat  westward  in  July. 

ROBIN'S  PLANTAIN.    BLUE  SPRING-DAISY. 

Erigeron  bellidifolius .     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Simple,  hairy,  producing  offsets  from  the  base.  Root-leaves. 
— Somewhat  rounded  or  wedge-shaped.  Stem-leaves. — Somewhat  oblong, 
lance  -  shaped,  partly  clasping.  Flower  -  heads. — Rather  large,  on  slender 
flower-stalks,  composed  of  both  strap-shaped  and  tubular  flowers,  the  for- 
mer (ray-flowers)  bluish-purple,  the  latter  (disk-flowers)  yellow. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Composite  family 
to  make  its  appearance,  that  great  tribe  being  usually  associated 

235 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

with  the  late  summer  months.  The  flower  might  easily  be  taken 
for  a  purple  aster  which  had  mistaken  the  season,  or  for  a  blue 
daisy,  as  one  of  its  common  names  suggests.  E.  Philadelphicus 
is  a  later  very  similar  species  with  smaller  flower-heads. 

ONE-FLOWERED  CANCER-ROOT. 

Aphyllon  uniflorum.     Broom-Rape  Family. 

Scape. — Slender,  fleshy,  three  to  five  inches  high,  one-flowered.  Leaves. 
— None.  Flower. — Pale  purple,  solitary,  one  inch  long,  with  a  delicate 
fragrance.  Calyx. — Five-cleft.  Corolla. — Somewhat  two-lipped,  with  two 
yellow  bearded  folds  in  the  throat.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One. 

In  April  or  May  the  odd  pretty  flower  of  the  parasitic  one- 
flowered  cancer-root  is  found  in  the  damp  woodlands. 

VIOLET  WOOD  SORREL. 

Oxalis  violacea.     Geranium  Family. 

Scape. — Five  to  nine  inches  high,  several-flowered.  Leaves. — Divided 
into  three  clover-like  leaflets.  Floivers. — Violet-colored,  clustered  on  the 
scape.  Calyx. — Of  five  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten. 
Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles. 

This  little  plant  is  found  in  somewhat  open  or  rocky  woods, 
its  lovely  delicate  flower  -  clusters  appearing  in  May  or  June. 
This  species  is  more  common  southward,  while  the  pink-veined 
wood  sorrel  (PI.  XVII.)  abounds  in  the  cool  woods  of  the  North. 


PITCHER  PLANT.    SIDE-SADDLE  FLOWER.    HUNTSMAN'S  CUP. 

Sarracenia  purpurea.     Pitcher-plant  Family. 

Scape. — Naked,  one-flowered,  about  one  foot  high.  Leaves. — Pitcher- 
shaped,  broadly  winged,  hooded.  Flower. — Red-purple,  large,  nodding. 
Calyx. — Of  five  colored  sepals,  with  three  bractlets  at  the  base.  Corolla. — 
Of  five  fiddle-shaped  petals  which  are  arched  over  the  greenish -yellow  style. 
Stamens. — Numerous.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  short  style  which  expands  at 
the  summit  into  a  petal-like  umbrella-shaped  body,  with  five  small  hooked 
stigmas. 

The  large  nodding  flower  of  the  pitcher-plant  may  be  found 
during  June  in  the  peat-bogs  of  New  England  as  well  as  farther 
south  and  west.  It  is  less  familiar  to  most  people  than  the 

236 


PLATE  LXXXVI 


ROBIN'S   PLANTAIN.— E.  bellidifolilM. 
237 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

curious  pitcher-like  leaves,  which  are  usually  partially  filled  with 
water  and  drowned  insects ;  part  of  their  inner  surface  being 
covered  with  a  sugary  exudation,  below  which,  for  a  space,  they 
are  highly  polished,  while  on  the  lower  portion  grow  the  stiff 
bristles  which  point  downward.  Insects  attracted  by  the  sugary 
secretion  find  themselves  prisoners,  as  they  can  seldom  fight 
their  way  through  the  opposing  bristles,  neither  can  they  usually 
escape  by  such  a  perpendicular  flight  as  would  be  necessary  from 
the  form  of  the  cavity.  The  decomposed  bodies  of  these  unfort- 
unates are  supposed  to  contribute  to  the  nourishment  of  the 
plant,  as  it  is  hardly  probable  that  this  elaborate  contrivance 
answers  no  special  purpose. 

WILD  GERANIUM.    WILD  CRANESBILL. 

Geranium  maculatum.     Geranium  Family. 

Stem. — Erect,  hairy.  Leaves. — About  five-parted,  the  divisions  lobed 
and  cut.  Flowers. — Pale  pink-purple,  rather  large.  Calyx. — Of  five  se- 
pals. Corolla. — Of  five  petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — With  five  styles, 
which  split  apart  at  maturity  so  elastically  as  to  discharge  the  seeds  to  some 
distance. 

In  spring  and  early  summer  the  open  woods  and  shaded 
roadsides  are  abundantly  brightened  with  these  graceful  flowers. 
They  are  of  peculiar  interest  because  of  their  close  kinship  with 
the  species,  G.  pratense,  which  first  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  German  scholar,  Sprengel,  to  the  close  relations  existing  be- 
tween flowers  and  insects.  The  beak-like  appearance  of  its  fruit 
give  the  plant  both  its  popular  and  scientific  names,  for  geranium 
is  from  the  Greek  for  crane.  The  specific  title,  maculatum,  re- 
fers to  the  somewhat  blotched  appearance  of  the  older  leaves. 

GlLL-OVER-THE-GROUND.     GROUND  IVY. 
Nepeta  Glechoma.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stems.  —  Creeping  and  trailing.  Leaves.  —  Small  and  kidney  -  shaped. 
Flowers. — Bluish-purple,  loosely  clustered  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. 
— Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  erect  and  two-cleft, 
the  lower  spreading  and  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  two- 
lobed  at  the  apex. 

As  the  pleasant  aroma  of  its  leaves  suggest,  this  little  plant 
is  closely  allied  to  the  catnip.  Its  common  title  of  Gill-over-the 

238 


PLATE   LXXXVII 


WILD   GERANIUM.— G.  maculatum. 
239 


BLUE    AND   PURPLE 

ground,  appeals  to  one  who  is  sufficiently  without  interest  in 
pasture-land  (for  it  is  obnoxious  to  cattle)  to  appreciate  the 
pleasant  fashion  in  which  this  little  immigrant  from  Europe  has 
made  itself  at  home  here,  brightening  the  earth  with  such  a  gen- 
erous profusion  of  blossoms  every  May.  But  it  is  somewhat  of 
a  disappointment  to  learn  that  this  name  is  derived  from  the 
French  guiller,  and  refers  to  its  former  use  in  the  fermentation  of 
beer.  Oddly  enough  the  name  of  alehoof,  which  the  plant  has 
borne  in  England  and  which  naturally  has  been  supposed  to  re- 
fer to  this  same  custom,  is  said  by  a  competent  authority  (Profes- 
sor Earle,  of  Oxford)  to  have  no  connection  with  it,  but  to  signify 
another  sort  of  hofe,  hofe  being  the  early  English  name  for  the 
violet,  which  resembles  these  flowers  in  color. 

The  plant  was  highly  prized  formerly  as  a  domestic  medicine. 
Gerarde  claims  that  < '  boiled  in  mutton-broth  it  helpeth  weake 
and  akeing  backs. ' ' 

LARKSPUR. 

Delphinium.     Crowfoot  Family. 

Six  inches  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  or  cut.  Flowers. — Blue 
or  purplish,  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  Calyx. — Of  five  irregular  petal- 
like  sepals,  the  upper  one  prolonged  into  a  spur.  Corolla. — Of  four  irregu- 
lar petals,  the  upper  pair  continued  backward  in  long  spurs  which  are  en- 
closed in  the  spur  of  the  calyx,  the  lower  pair  with  short  claws.  Stamens. 
— Indefinite  in  number.  Pistils. — One  to  five,  forming  pods  in  fruit. 

In  April  and  May  the  bright  blue  clusters  of  the  dwarf  lark- 
spur, D.  tricorne,  are  noticeable  in  parts  of  the  country.  Un- 
fortunately they  are  not  found  east  of  Western  Pennsylvania. 

The  tall  wand-like  purplish  racemes  of  the  tall  larkspur,  D. 
exaltatum,  are  found  in  July  in  the  rich  soil  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  much  farther  south  and  west  as  well. 

WILD  LUPINE. 

Lupinus  perennis.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Erect,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Divided  into  seven  to 
eleven  leaflets.  Flowers. — Blue,  papilionaceous,  showy,  in  a  long  raceme. 
Pod. — Broad,  hairy. 

In  June  and  July  the  long  bright  clusters  of  the  wild  lupine 
are  very  noticeable  in  many  of  our  sandy  fields.  Its  pea-like 

240 


ik. 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 

blossoms  serve  to  easily  identify  it.  Under  date  of  June  8th, 
Thoreau  writes  :  "  The  lupine  is  now  in  its  glory.  ...  It 
paints  a  whole  hill-side  with  its  blue,  making  such  a  field  (if  not 
meadow)  as  Proserpine  might  have  wandered  in.  Its  leaf  was 
made  to  be  covered  with  dew-drops.  I  am  quite  excited  by 
this  prospect  of  blue  flowers  in  clumps,  with  narrow  intervals, 
such  a  profusion  of  the  heavenly,  the  Elysian  color,  as  if  these 
were  the  Elysian  fields.  .  .  .  That  is  the  value  of  the  lu- 
pine. The  earth  is  blued  with  it." 


HAREBELL. 

Campamila  rottindi folia.     Campanula  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  brandling,  from  five  to  twelve  inches  high.  Root-leaves. 
— Heart-shaped  or  ovate,  early  withering.  Stem-leaves. — Numerous,  long 
and  narrow.  Flowers. — Bright  blue,  nodding  from  hair-like  stalks.  Calyx. 
— Five-cleft,  the  lobes  awl-shaped.  Corolla. — Bell-shaped,  five-lobed.  Sta- 
mens.— Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas. 

This  slender,  pretty  plant,  hung  with  its  tremulous  flowers, 
springs  from  the  rocky  cliffs  which  buttress  the  river  as  well  as 
from  those  which  crown  the  mountain.  I  have  seen  the  west 
shore  of  the  Hudson  bright  with  its  delicate  bloom  in  June,  and 
the  summits  of  the  Catskills  tinged  with  its  azure  in  September. 
The  drooping  posture  of  these  flowers  protect  their  pollen  from 
rain  or  dew.  They  have  come  to  us  from  Europe,  and  are  iden- 
tical, I  believe,  with  the  celebrated  Scotch  bluebells. 


BLUE-EYED  GRASS. 

Sisyrinckium  angustifolium.     Iris  Family. 

Four  to  twelve  inches  high.  Leaves. — Narrow  and  grass-like.  Flowers. 
— Blue  or  purple,  with  a  yellow  centre.  Perianth. — Six-parted,  the  divisions 
bristle-pointed.  Stamens. — Three,  united.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  thread- 
like stigmas. 

For  the  sun  is  no  sooner  risen  with  a  burning  heat, 

But  it  withereth  the  grass, 

And  the  flower  thereof  falleth, 

And  the  grace  of  the  fashion  of  it  perisheth. 

So  reads  the  passage  in  the  Epistle  of  James,  which  seems  so 
graphically  to  describe  the  brief  life  of  this  little  flower,  that  we 

241 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

might  almost  believe  the  Apostle  had  had  it  in  mind,  were  it  to 
be  found  in  the  East. 

The  blue-eyed  grass  belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the  showy 
fleur-de-lis  and  blossoms  during  the  summer,  being  especially 
plentiful  in  moist  meadows.  It  is  sometimes  called  "  eye- 
bright,"  which  name  belongs  by  rights  to  Euphrasia  officinalis. 

VENUS' s  LOOKING-GLASS. 

Specularia  perfoliata.     Campanula  Family. 

Stem. — Somewhat  hairy,  three  to  twenty  inches  high.  Leaves. — Toothed, 
rounded,  clasping  by  the  heart-shaped  base.  Flowers. — Blue.  Calyx. — 
Three,  four,  or  five-lobed.  Corolla. — Wheel-shaped,  five-lobed.  Stamens. 
— Five.  Pistil. — One,  with  three  stigmas. 

We  borrow  from  Mr.  Burroughs's  "  Bunch  of  Herbs  "  a  de- 
scription of  this  little  plant,  which  blossoms  from  May  till  August. 
"  A  pretty  and  curious  little  weed,  sometimes  found  growing  in 
the  edge  of  the  garden,  is  the  clasping  specularia,  a  relative  of 
the  harebell  and  of  the  European  Venus's  looking-glass.  Its 
leaves  are  shell-shaped,  and  clasp  the  stalk  so  as  to  form  little 
shallow  cups.  In  the  bottom  of  each  cup  three  buds  appear 
that  never  expand  into  flowers,  but  when  the  top  of  the  stalk  is 
reached,  one  and  sometimes  two  buds  open  a  large,  delicate  pur- 
ple-blue corolla.  All  the  first-born  of  this  plant  are  still-born 
as  it  were  ;  only  the  latest,  which  spring  from  its  summit,  attain 
to  perfect  bloom." 

SKULL-CAP. 

Scutellaria.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Square,  usually  one  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  ob- 
long, lance-shaped  or  linear.  Flovvers. — Blue.  Calyx. — Two-lipped,  the 
upper  lip  with  a  small,  helmet-like  appendage  which  at  once  identifies  this 
genus.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  arched,  the  lateral  lobes  mostly 
connected  with  the  upper  lip,  the  lower  lip  spreading  and  notched  at  the 
apex.  Stamens. — Four,  in  pairs.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

The  prettiest  and  most  striking  of  this  genus  is  the  larger 
skull-cap,  S.  integrifolia,  whose  bright  blue  flowers  are  about 
one  inch  long,  growing  in  terminal  racemes.  In  June  and  July 
they  may  be  found  among  the  long  grass  of  the  roadsides  and 

242 


PLATE    LXXXVIII 


BLUE-EYED   GRASS.-S.  anyustifolium. 
243 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 

meadows.  They  are  easily  identified  by  the  curious  little  ap- 
pendage on  the  upper  part  of  the  calyx,  which  gives  to  this 
genus  its  common  name. 

Perhaps  the  best-known  member  of  the  group  is  the  mad-dog 
skull-cap,  ,S.  lateriflora,  which  delights  in  wet  places,  bearing 
small,  inconspicuous  flowers  in  one-sided  racemes.  This  plant 
is  quite  smooth,  while  that  of  S.  integrifolia  is  rather  downy. 
It  was  formerly  believed  to  be  a  sure  cure  for  hydrophobia. 

S.  galericulata  is  usually  found  somewhat  northward.  Its 
flowers  are  much  larger  than  those  of  S.  lateriflora,  but  smaller 
than  those  of  S.  integrifolia.  They  grow  singly  from  the  axils 
of  the  upper  leaves. 

FLEUR-DE-LIS.    LARGER  BLUE  FLAG. 

Iris  versicolor.     Iris  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  angled  on  one  side,  leafy,  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. 
— Flat  and  sword-shaped,  with  their  inner  surfaces  coherent  for  about  half 
of  their  length.  Flowers. — Large  and  showy,  violet-blue,  variegated  with 
green,  yellow,  or  white  j  purple-veined.  Perianth. — Six-cleft,  the  three 
outer  divisions  recurved,  the  three  inner  smaller  and  erect.  Stamens. — 
Three,  covered  by  the  three  overarching,  petal-like  divisions  of  the  style. 
Pistil. — One,  with  its  style  cleft  into  three  petal-like  divisions,  each  of 
which  bears  its  stigma  on  its  inner  surface. 

Born  in  the  purple,  born  to  joy  and  pleasance, 

Thou  dost  not  toil  nor  spin, 
But  makest  glad  and  radiant  with  thy  presence 

The  meadow  and  the  lin.* 

In  both  form  and  color  this  is  one  of  the  most  regal  of  our 
wild  flowers,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  the  fleur-de-lis 
was  chosen  as  the  emblem  of  a  royal  house,  although  the  especial 
flower  which  Louis  VII.  of  France  selected  as  his  badge  was  prob- 
ably white. 

It  will  surprise  most  of  us  to  learn  that  the  common  name 
which  we  have  borrowed  from  the  French  does  not  signify 
"  flower-of-the-lily,"  as  it  would  if  literally  translated,  but 
"flower  of  Louis,"  Its  being  a  corruption  of  the  name  of  the 
king  who  first  adopted  it  as  his  badge. 

For  the  botanist  the  blue-flag  possesses  special  interest.     It 
*  Longfellow. 
244 


PLATE  LXXXIX 


FLEUR-DE-LIS.— J.  versicolor. 
245 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

is  a  conspicuous  example  of  a  flower  which  has  guarded  itself 
against  self-fertilization,  and  which  is  beautifully  calculated  to 
secure  the  opposite  result.  The  position  of  the  stamens  is  such 
that  their  pollen  could  not  easily  reach  the  stigmas  of  the  same 
flower,  for  these  are  borne  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  petal-like, 
overarching  styles.  There  is  no  prospect  here  of  any  seed  being 
set  unless  the  pollen  of  another  flower  is  secured.  Now  what  are 
the  chances  in  favor  of  this  ?  They  are  many  :  In  the  first 
place  the  blossom  is  unusually  large  and  showy,  from  its  size  and 
shape  alone  almost  certain  to  arrest  the  attention  of  the  passing 
bee  ;  next,  the  color  is  not  only  conspicuous,  but  it  is  also  one 
which  has  been  found  to  be  especially  attractive  to  bees ;  blue 
and  purple  flowers  being  particularly  sought  by  these  insects. 
When  the  bee  reaches  the  flower  he  alights  on  the  only  con- 
venient landing-place,  one  of  the  recurved  sepals  ;  following  the 
deep  purple  veins  which  experience  has  taught  him  lead  to  the 
hidden  nectar,  he  thrusts  his  head  below  the  anther,  brushing  off 
its  pollen,  which  he  carries  to  another  flower. 

The  rootstocks  of  the  Florentine  species  of  iris  yield  the 
familiar  l '  orris-root. ' ' 

The  family  name  is  from  the  Greek  for  rainbow,  on  account 
of  the  rich  and  varied  hues  of  its  different  members. 

The  plant  abounds  in  wet  meadows,  the  blossoms  appearing 
in  June. 

AMERICAN  BROOKLIME. 

Veronica  Americana.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Smooth,  reclining  at  base,  then  erect,  eight  to  fifteen  inches  high. 
Leaves. — Mostly  opposite,  oblong,  toothed.  Flowers. — Blue,  clustered  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Four-parted.  Corolla. — Wheel- shaped, 
four-parted.  Stamens. — Two.  Pistil. — One. 

Perhaps  the  prettiest  of  the  blue  Veronicas  is  the  American 
brooklime.  Its  clustered  flowers  make  bright  patches  in  moist 
ground  which  might,  at  a  little  distance,  be  mistaken  for  beds 
of  forget-me-nots.  It  blossoms  from  June  till  August,  and  is 
almost  as  common  in  wet  ditches  and  meadows  as  its  sister,  the 
common  speedwell,  is  in  dry  and  open  places.  Some  of  the 

246 


PLATE  XC 


AMERICAN    BROOKLIME.—  V.  Americana. 
247 


BLUE   AND   PURPLE 

members  of  this  genus  were  once  believed  to  possess  great  medic- 
inal virtues,  and  won  for  themselves  in  Europe  the  laudatory 
names  of  Honor  and  Praise. 

COMMON  SPEEDWELL. 

Veronica  officinalis.     Figwort  Family. 
The  little  speedwell's  darling  blue 

is  noticeable  during  June  and  July,  when  clusters  of  these  tiny 
flowers  brighten  many  a  waste  spot  along  the  sunny  roadsides. 
This  is  a  hairy  little  plant,  with  a  stem  which  lies  upon  the 
ground  and  takes  root,  thus  spreading  itself  quickly  over  the 
country. 

ARETHUSA. 

Arethusa  bulbosa.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Scape. — Sheathed,  from  a  globular  bulb,  usually  one-flowered.  Leaf. — 
"  Solitary,  linear,  nerved,  hidden  in  the  sheaths  of  the  scape,  protruding 
after  flowering."  (Gray.)  Flower. — Rose-purpkr/t  large,  with  a  bearded 
lip. 

In  some  localities  this  beautiful  flower  is  very  plentiful. 
Every  June  will  find  certain  New  England  marshes  tinged  with 
its  rose-purple  blossoms,  while  in  other  near  and  promising  bogs 
it  may  be  sought  vainly  for  years.  At  least  it  may  be  hoped  for 
in  wet  places  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina,  its  most  favorite 
haunt  being  perhaps  a  cranberry-swamp.  Concerning  it,  Mr. 
Burroughs  writes  :  *"  Arethusa  was  one  of  the  nymphs  who  at- 
tended Diana,  and  was  by  that  goddess  turned  into  a  fountain, 
that  she  might  escape  the  god  of  the  river  Alpheus,  who  became 
desperately  in  love  with  her  on  seeing  her  at  her  bath.  Our 
Arethusa  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  orchids,  and  has  been  pur- 
sued through  many  a  marsh  and  quaking  -  bog  by  her  lovers. 
She  is  a  bright  pink-purple  flower  an  inch  or  more  long,  with 
the  odor  of  sweet  violets.  The  sepals  and  petals  rise  up  and 
arch  over  the  column,  which  we  may  call  the  heart  of  the  flower, 
as  if  shielding  it.  In  Plymouth  County,  Mass.,  where  the  Are- 
thusa seems  common,  I  have  heard  it  called  Indian  pink." 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


PURPLE  FRINGED  ORCHISES. 

Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 
Habenaria  fimbriata. 

•  Leaves. — Oval  or  oblong ;  the  upper,  few,  passing  into  lance-shaped 
bracts.  Flowers. — Purple,  rather  large  ;  with  a  fan-shaped,  three-parted 
lip,  its  divisions  fringed  ;  with  a  long  curving  spur  ;  growing  in  a  spike. 

Habenaria  psy codes. 

Leaves. — Oblong  or  lance-shaped,  the  upper  passing  into  linear  bracts. 
Flowers. — Purple,  fragrant,  resembling  those  of  //.  fimbriata,  but  much 
smaller,  with  a  less  fringed  lip  ;  growing  in  a  spike. 

We  should  search  the  wet  meadows  in  early  June  if  we  wish 
to  be  surely  in  time  for  the  larger  of  the  purple  fringed  orchises, 
for  H.  fimbriata  somewhat  antedates  H.  psy  codes,  which  is  the 
commoner  species  of  the  two  and  appears  in  July.  Under  date 
of  June  Qth,  Thoreau  writes  :  "  Find  the  great  fringed-orchis  out 
apparently  two  or  tnree  days,  two  are  almost  fully  out,  two  or 
three  only  budded  ;  a  large  spike  of  peculiarly  delicate,  pale-pur- 
ple flowers  growing  in  the  luxuriant  and  shady  swamp,  amid  hel- 
lebores, ferns,  golden  senecio,  etc.  .  .  .  The  village  belle 
never  sees  this  more  delicate  belle  of  the  swamp.  ...  A 
beauty  reared  in  the  shade  of  a  convent,  who  has  never  strayed 
beyond  the  convent-bell.  Only  the  skunk  or  owl,  or  other  in- 
habitant of  the  swamp,  beholds  it. ' ' 


AMERICAN  PENNYROYAL. 

Hedeoma  fiulegioides.      Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Square,  low,  erect,  branching,  Leaves. — Opposite,  aromatic, 
small.  Flovvers. — Purplish,  small,  whorled  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Ca- 
lyx.— Two-lipped,  upper  lip  three-toothed,  the  lower  two-cleft.  Corolla. — 
Two-lipped,  upper  erect,  notched  at  apex,  the  lower  spreading  and  three- 
cleft.  Fertile  stamens. — Two.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

This  well-known,  strong-scented  little  plant  is  found  through- 
out the  greater  part  of  the  country,  blossoming  in  midsummer. 

249 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 


Its  taste  and  odor  nearly  resemble  that  of  the  true  pennyroyal, 
Mentha  pulegium,  of  Europe. 


MONKEY-FLOWER. 

Mimulus  ringens.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — Square,  one  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  oblong  or  lance- 
shaped.  Flowers. — Pale  violet-purple,  rarely  white,  growing  singly  from 
the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Five-angled,  five-toothed,  the  upper  tooth 
largest.  Corolla. — Tubular,  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  erect  or  spreading, 
two-lobed,  the  lower  spreading  and  three-lobed,  the  throat  closed.  Sta- 
mens.— Four.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  stigma. 

From  late  July  onward  the  monkey-flowers  tinge  the  wet 
fields  and  border  the  streams  and  ponds ;  not  growing  in  the 
water  like  the  pickerel- weed,  but  seeking  a  hummock  in  the 
swamp,  or  a  safe  foothold  on  the  brook's  edge,  where  they  can  ab- 
sorb the  moisture  requisite  to  their  vigorous  growth. 

The  name  is  a  diminutive  of  mimus — a  buffoon,  and  refers  to 
the  somewhat  grinning  blossom.  The  plant  is  a  common  one 
throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the  country. 


COMMON  MOTHERWORT. 

Leonurus  cardiaca.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Tall  and  upright.  Leaves. — Opposite,  the  lower  rounded  and 
lobed,  the  floral  wedge-shaped  at  base  and  three-cleft.  Flowers. — Pale 
purple,  in  close  whorls  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — "With  five 
nearly  equal  teeth,  which  are  awl-shaped,  and  when  old  rather  spiny,  pointed, 
and  spreading."  (Gray.)  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  somewhat 
arched  and  bearded,  the  lower  three-lobed  and  spreading.  Stamens.— 
Four,  in  pairs.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

The  tall  erect  stems,  opposite  leaves,  and  regular  whorls?  of 
closely  clustered  pale  purple  flowers  help  us  to  easily  identify  the 
motherwort,  if  identification  be  needed,  for  it  seems  as  though 
such  old-fashioned,  time-honored  plants  as  catnip,  tansy,  and 
motherwort,  which  cling  so  persistently  to  the  skirts  of  the  old 
homestead  in  whose  domestic  economy  they  once  played  so  im- 
portant a  part,  should  be  familiar  to  us  all. 

250 


PLATE   XCI 


MONKEY-FLOWER.— M.  ringens. 
251 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 


CORN  COCKLE. 

Lychnis  Githago.      Pink  Family. 

About  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  long  and  narrow,  pale  green, 
with  silky  hairs.  Flowers. — Rose-purple,  large,  long-stalked.  Calyx-lobes. 
— Five,  long  and  slender,  exceeding  the  petals.  Corolla. — Of  five  broad 
petals.  Stamens. — Ten.  Pistil. — One,  with  five  styles. 

In  many  countries  some  of  the  most  beautiful  and  noticeable 
flowers  are  commonly  found  in  grain-fields.  England's  scarlet 
poppies  flood  her  farm-lands  with  glorious  color  in  early  summer; 
while  the  bluets  lighten  the  corn-fields  of  France.  Our  grain- 
fields  seem  to  have  no  native  flower  peculiar  to  them ;  but  often 
we  find  a  trespasser  of  foreign  descent  hiding  among  the  wheat 
or  straying  to  the  roadsides  in  early  summer,  whose  deep-tinted 
blossoms  secure  an  instant  welcome  from  the  flower-lover  if  not 
from  the  farmer.  "What  hurte  it  doeth  among  corne  !  the 
spoyle  unto  bread,  as  well  in  colour,  taste,  and  unwholesomeness, 
is  better  known  than  desired,"  wrote  Gerarde.  The  large  dark 
seeds  fill  the  ground  wheat  with  black  specks,  and  might  be 
injurious  if  existing  in  any  great  quantity.  Its  former  generic 
name  was  Agrostemma,  signifying  crown  of  the  fields.  Its  pres- 
ent one  of  Lychnis,  signifies  a  light  or  lamp. 

BLUE  VERVAIN.    SIMPLER' s  JOY. 

Verbena  hastata.     Vervain  Family. 

Four  to  six  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  somewhat  lance-shaped,  the 
lower  often  lobed  and  sometimes  halberd-shaped  at  base.  Flowers. — Purple, 
small,  in  slender  erect  spikes.  Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Tubular, 
somewhat  unequally  five-cleft.  Stamens.— -Two,  in  pairs.  Pistil. — One. 

Along  the  roadsides  in  midsummer  we  notice  these  slender 
purple  spikes,  the  appearance  of  which  would  be  vastly  improved 
if  the  tiny  blossoms  would  only  consent  to  open  simultaneously. 

In  earlier  times  the  vervain  was  beset  with  classic  associa- 
tions. It  was  claimed  as  the  plant  which  Virgil  and  other  poets 
mention  as  being  used  for  altar-decorations  and  for  the  garlands 
of  sacrificial  beasts.  It  was  believed  to  be  the  herba  sacra  of 
the  ancients,  until  it  was  understood  that  the  generic  title 
Verbena  was  a  word  which  was  applied  to  branches  of  any  de- 

252 


PLATE  XCII 


BLUE   VERVAIN.— F.  hastata. 
253 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

scription  which  were  used  in  religious  rites.  It  certainly  seems, 
however,  to  have  been  applied  to  some  especial  plant  in  the  time 
of  Pliny,  for  he  writes  that  no  plant  was  more  honored  among 
the  Romans  than  the  sacred  Verbena.  In  more  modern  times 
as  well  the  vervain  has  been  regarded  as  an  "  herb  of  grace,"  and 
has  been  gathered  with  various  ceremonies  and  with  the  invoca- 
tion of  a  blessing,  which  began  as  follows: 

Hallowed  be  thou,  Vervain, 
As  thou  growest  on  the  ground, 
For  in  the  Mount  of  Calvary 
There  thou  was  first  found. 

It  was  then  supposed  to  be  endued  with  especial  virtue,  and  was 
worn  on  the  person  to  avert  disaster. 

The  time-honored  title  of  Simpler's  joy  arose  from  the  remun- 
eration which  this  popular  plant  brought  to  the  "  Simplers  " — as 
the  gatherers  of  medicinal  herbs  were  entitled. 

BEARD-TONGUE. 

Fentstemon  ptibescens.     Figwort  Family. 

Stem. — One  or  two  feet  high,  clammy  above.  Leaves. — Opposite,  ob- 
long to  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Dull  purple  or  partly  whitish,  showy,  in  a 
slender  open  cluster.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Tubular,  slightly 
dilated,  the  throat  nearly  closed  by  a  bearded  palate  ;  two-lipped,  the  upper 
lip  two-lobed,  the  lower  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four,  one  densely  bearded 
sterile  filament  besides.  Pistil. — One. 

These  handsome,  showy  flowers  are  found  in  summer  in  dry  or 
rocky  places.  They  are  especially  plentiful  somewhat  southward. 

The  white  beard-tongue  of  more  western  localities  is  P.  dig- 
italis. This  is  a  very  effective  plant,  which  sometimes  reaches 
a  height  of  five  feet,  having  large  inflated  white  flowers. 

SELF-HEAL.    HEAL-ALL. 

Brunella  vulgaris.     Mint. Family  (p.  16). 

Stems. — Low.  Leaves. — Opposite,  oblong.  Flowers. — Bluish-purple, 
in  a  spike  or  head.  Calyx.— Two-lipped,  upper  lip  with  three  short  teeth, 
the  lower  two-cleft  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  arched,  entire,  the 
lower  spreading,  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One,  two-lobed  at 
the  apex. 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  from 
June  until  September,  the  short,  close  spikes  of  the  self-heal  can 

254 


PLATE   XCIII 


SELF-HEAL.— J3.  vulgaris, 
255 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

be  found  along  the  roadsides.  The  botanical  name,  Brunella, 
is  a  corruption  from  Prunella,  which  is  taken  from  the  German 
for  quinsy,  for  which  this  plant  was  considered  a  certain  cure. 
It  was  also  used  in  England  as  an  application  to  the  wounds  re- 
ceived by  rustic  laborers,  as  its  common  names,  carpenter's 
herb,  hook-heal,  and  sicklewort,  imply.  That  the  French  had  a 
similar  practice  is  proved  by  an  old  proverb  of  theirs  to  the  ef- 
fect that  "  No  one  wants  a  surgeon  who  keeps  Prune  He" 

WILD  BERGAMOT. 

Monarda  fistulosa.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  fragrant,  toothed.  Flowers. 
— Purple  or  purplish,  dotted,  growing  in  a  solitary,  terminal  head.  Calyx. — 
Tubular,  elongated,  five-toothed.  Corolla. — Elongated,  two-lipped.  Sta- 
mens.— Two,  elongated.  Pistil. — One,  with  style  two-lobed  at  apex. 

Although  the  wild  bergamot  is  occasionally  found  in  our 
eastern  woods,  it  is  far  more  abundant  westward,  where  it  is 
found  in  rocky  places  in  summer.  This  is  a  near  relative  of  the 
bee  balm  (PL  LXXXIL),  which  it  closely  resembles  in  its  man- 
ner of  growth. 

DAY-FLOWER. 

Commelina  Virginica.     SpicTerwort  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  branching.  Leaves. — Lance-shaped  to  linear,  the  floral 
ones  heart-shaped  and  clasping,  folding  so  as  to  enclose  the  flowers.  Flow- 
ers.— Blue.  Calyx. — Of  three  unequal  somewhat  colored  sepals,  the  two 
lateral  ones  partly  united.  Corolla. — Of  three  petals,  two  large,  rounded, 
pale  blue,  one  small,  whitish,  and  inconspicuous.  Stamens. — Six,  unequal 
in  size,  three  small  and  sterile,  with  yellow  cross-shaped  anthers,  three  fer- 
tile, one  of  which  is  bent  inwai'd.  Pistil. — One. 

The  odd  day-flower  is  so  named  because  its  delicate  blossoms 
only  expand  for  a  single  morning.  At  the  first  glance  there  seem 
to  be  but  two  petals  which  are  large,  rounded,  and  of  a  delicate 
shade  of  blue.  A  closer  examination,  however,  discovers  still 
another,  so  inconspicuous  in  form  and  color  as  to  escape  the 
notice  of  the  casual  observer.  This  inequality  recalls  the  quaint 
tradition  as  to  the  origin  of  the  plant's  generic  name.  There 
were  three  brothers  Commelin,  natives  of  Holland.  Two  of 
them  were  botanists  of  repute,  while  the  tastes  of  the  third  had 
a  less  marked  botanical  tendency.  The  genus  was  dedicated  to 

256 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

the  trio :  the  two  large  bright  petals  commemorating  the  brother 
botanists,  while  the  small  and  unpretentious  one  perpetuates  the 
memory  of  him  who  was  so  unwise  as  to  take  little  or  no  interest 
in  so  noble  a  science.  These  flowers  appear  throughout  the  sum- 
mer in  cool  woods  and  on  moist  banks. 

BLUE  LINARIA.    BLUE  TOADFLAX. 

Linaria  Canadensis.     Figwort  Family. 

Stems. — Slender,  six  to  thirty  inches  high.  Leaves. — Linear.  Flowers. 
— Pale  blue  or  purple,  small,  in  a  long  terminal  raceme.  Calyx. — Five- 
parted.  Corolla. — Two-lipped,  with  a  slender  spur,  closed  in  the  throat. 
Stamens. — Four.  Pistil. — One. 

The  slender  spikes  of  the  blue  linaria  flank  the  sandy  road- 
sides nearly  all  summer,  and  even  in  November  we  find  a  few 
delicate  blossoms  still  left  upon  the  elongated  stems.  These 
flowers  have  a  certain  spirituality  which  is  lacking  in  their  hand- 
some, self-assertive  relation,  butter-and-eggs. 

SPIDERWORT. 

Tradescantia  Virginica.     Spiderwort  Family. 

Stems. — Mucilaginous,  leafy,  mostly  upright.  Leaves. — Linear,  keeled. 
Flowers. — Blue,  clustered,  with  floral  leaves  as  in  the  day-flower.  Calyx. — 
Of  three  sepals.  Corolla. — Of  three  petals.  Stamens. — Six,  with  bearded 
filaments.  Pistil. — One. 

The  flowers  of  the  spiderwort,  like  those  of  the  day-flower,  to 
which  they  are  nearly  allied,  are  very  perishable,  lasting  only  a 
few  hours.  They  are  found  throughout  the  summer,  somewhat 
south  and  westward.  The  genus  is  named  in  honor  of  Trades- 
cant,  gardener  to  Charles  I.  of  England. 

PICKEREL-WEED. 

Pontedaria  cordata.     Pickerel-weed  Family. 

Stem. — Stout,  usually  one-leaved.  Leaves. — Arrow  or  heart-shaped. 
Flowers. — Blue,  fading  quickly,  with  an  unpleasant  odor,  growing  in  a  dense 
spike.  Perianth. — Two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  three-lobed  and  marked  with 
a  double  greenish-yellow  spot,  the  lower  of  three  spreading  divisions.  Sta- 
mens.— Six,  three  long  and  protruding,  the  three  others,  which  are  often  im- 
perfect, very  short  and  inserted  lower  down.  Pistil. — One. 

The  pickerel- weed  grows  in  such  shallow  water  as  the  pick- 
erel seek,  or  else  in  moist,  wet  places  along  the  shores  of  streams 

257 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 


and  rivers.  We  can  look  for  the  blue,  closely  spiked  flowers 
from  late  July  until  some  time  in  September.  They  are  often 
found  near  the  delicate  arrow-head. 


BLUE  WEED.    VIPER'S  BUGLOSS. 

.  Echium  vulgare.     Borage  Family. 

Stem. — Rough,  bristly,  erect,  about  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
lance-shaped,  set  close  to  the  stem.  Flowers. — Bright  blue,  spiked  on  one 
side  of  the  branches,  which  are  at  first  rolled  up  from  the  end,  straightening 
as  the  blossoms  expand.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Of  five  somewhat 
unequal,  spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — Five,  protruding,  red.  Pistil. — One. 

When  the  blue  weed  first  came  to  us  from  across  the  sea  it 
secured  a  foothold  in  Virginia.  Since  then  it  has  gradually 
worked  its  way  northward,  lining  the  Hudson's  shores,  over- 
running many  of  the  dry  fields  in  its  vicinity,  and  making  itself 
at  home  in  parts  of  New  England.  We  should  be  obliged  to 
rank  it  among  the  "pestiferous"  weeds  were  it  not  that,  as  a 
rule,  it  only  seeks  to  monopolize  land  which  is  not  good  for  very 
much  else.  The  pinkish  buds  and  bright  blue  blossoms  with 
their  red  protruding  stamens  make  a  valuable  addition,  from  the 
aesthetic  point  of  view,  to  the  bunch  of  midsummer  field-flowers 
in  which  hitherto  the  various  shades  of  red  and  yellow  have  pre- 
dominated. 

NIGHTSHADE. 

Solanum  Dulcamara.     Nightshade  Family. 

Stem. — Usually  somewhat  climbing  or  twining.  Leaves. — Heart-shaped, 
the  upper  halberd-shaped  or  with  ear-like  lobes  or  leaflets  at  the  base.  Flow- 
ers.— Purple,  in  small  clusters.  Calyx. — Five-parted.  Corolla. — Five- 
parted,  wheel-shaped.  Stamens. — Five,  yellow,  protruding.  Pistil. — One. 
Fruit. — A  red  berry. 

The  purple  flowers,  which  at  once  betray  their  kinship  with 
the  potato  plant,  and,  in  late  summer,  the  bright  red  berries  of 
the  nightshade,  cluster  about  the  fences  and  clamber  over  the 
moist  banks  which  line  the  highway.  This  plant,  which  was  im- 
ported from  Europe,  usually  indicates  the  presence  of  civilization. 
It  is  not  poisonous  to  the  touch,  as  is  often  supposed,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  berries  have  the  baneful  power  attributed  to  them. 

258 


PLATE    XCIV 


BLUEWEED.— E.  vulgare. 
259 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

Thoreau  writes  regarding  them :  ' <  The  Solarium  Dulcamara 
berries  are  another  kind  which  grow  in  drooping  clusters.  I  do 
not  know  any  clusters  more  graceful  and  beautiful  than  these 
drooping  cymes  of  scented  or  translucent,  cherry-colored  ellip- 
tical berries.  .  .  .  They  hang  more  gracefully  over  the 
river's  brim  than  any  pendant  in  a  lady's  ear.  Yet  they  are 
considered  poisonous  ;  not  to  look  at  surely.  .  .  .  But  why 
should  they  not  be  poisonous  ?  Would  it  not  be  bad  taste  to 
eat  these  berries  which  are  ready  to  feed  another  sense  ?  ' ' 


GREAT  LOBELIA. 

Lobelia  syphilitica.     Lobelia  Family. 

Stem. — Leafy,  somewhat  hairy,  one  to  three  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alter- 
nate, ovate  to  lance-shaped,  thin,  irregularly  toothed.  Flowers. — Rather 
large,  light  blue,  spiked.  Calyx. — Five-cleft,  with  a  short  tube.  Corolla. 
— Somewhat  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  of  two  rather  erect  lobes,  the  lower 
spreading  and  three-cleft.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  fringed  stigma. 

The  great  lobelia  is  a  striking  plant  which  grows  in  low 
ground,  flowering  in  midsummer.  In  some  places  it  is  called 
"  High-Belia,"  a  pun  which  is  supposed  to  reflect  upon  the  less 
tall  and  conspicuous  species,  such  as  the  Indian  tobacco,  L.  in- 
flata,  which  are  found  flowering  at  the  same  season. 

If  one  of  its  blossoms  is  examined,  the  pistil  is  seen  to  be  en- 
closed by  the  united  stamens  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  secure  self- 
fertilization,  one  would  suppose.  But  it  is  hardly  probable  that 
a  flower  as  noticeable  as  this,  and  wearing  a  color  as  popular  as 
blue,  should  have  adorned  itself  so  lavishly  to  no  purpose.  Con- 
sequently we  are  led  to  inquire  more  closely  into  its  domestic 
arrangements.  Our  curiosity  is  rewarded  by  the  discovery  that 
the  lobes  of  the  stigma  are  so  tightly  pressed  together  that  they 
can  at  first  receive  no  pollen  upon  their  sensitive  surfaces.  We 
also  find  that  the  anthers  open  only  by  a  pore  at  their  tips,  and 
when  irritated  by  the  jar  of  a  visiting  bee,  discharge  their  pol- 
len upon  its  body  through  these  outlets.  This  being  accom- 
plished the  fringed  stigma  pushes  forward,  brushing  aside  what- 
ever pollen  may  have  fallen  within  the  tube.  When  it  finally 

260 


PLATE   XCV 


GREAT  LOBELIA.-L.  ayphilitica. 
.261 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

projects  beyond  the  anthers,  it  opens,  and  is  ready  to  receive  its 
pollen  from  the  next  insect -visitor. 

The   genus  is  named  after  an  early   Flemish  herbalist,  de 

row. 

INDIAN  TOBACCO. 

Lobelia  inflata.     Lobelia  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Stem. — Branching  from  the  root.  Leaves. — Al- 
ternate, ovate,  or  oblong,  somewhat  toothed.  Flowers. — Blue  or  purple, 
small,  growing  in  a  loose  raceme,  resembling  in  structure  those  of  the  great 
lobelia.  Pod. — Much  inflated. 

During  the  summer  we  note  in  the  dry,  open  fields  the  blue 
racemes  of  the  Indian  tobacco,  and  in  the  later  year  the  inflated 
pods  which  give  it  its  specific  name.  The  plant  is  said  to  be 
poisonous  if  taken  internally,  and  yields  a  "  quack-medicine  "  of 
some  notoriety.  The  Indians  smoked  its  dried  leaves,  which  im- 
part to  the  tongue  a  peculiar  tobacco-like  sensation. 

There  are  other  species  of  lobelia  which  may  be  distinguished 
by  their  narrower  leaves  and  uninflated  pods,  and  by  their  choice 
of  moist  localities. 

HOG  PEA-NUT. 

Amphicarpaa  monoica.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Climbing  and  twining  over  plants  and  shrubs.  Leaves. — Divided 
into  three  somewhat  four-sided  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  pale  li- 
lac, or  purplish,  in  nodding  racemes.  Pod. — One  inch  long. 

Along  the  shadowy  lanes  which  wind  through  the  woods  the 
climbing  members  of  the  Pulse  family  are  very  abundant.  Dur- 
ing the  late  summer  and  autumn  the  lonely  wayside  is  skirted  by 

Vines,  with  clust'ring  bunches  growing  ; 
Plants,  with  goodly  burden  bowing. 

And  in  and  out  among  this  luxuriant  growth  twist  the  slender 
stems  of  the  ill-named  hog  pea-nut,  its  delicate  lilac  blossoms 
nodding  from  the  coarse  stalks  of  the  golden -rods  and  iron -weeds 
or  blending  with  the  purple  asters. 

This  plant  bears  flowers  of  two  kinds  :  the  upper  ones  are 
perfect,  but  apparently  useless,  as  they  seldom  ripen  fruit ;  while 
the  lower  or  subterranean  ones  are  without  petals  or  attractiveness 
of  appearance,  but  yield  eventually  at  least  one  large  ripe  seed. 

262 


PLATE  XCVI 


INDIAN   TOBACCO.— L.  inflata. 
263 


*  • 

4 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


BEACH  PEA. 

Lathyrus  maritimus.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

About  one  foot  high,  or  more.  Stem. — Stout.  Leaves. — Divided  into 
from  three  to  five  pairs  of  thick  oblong  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous, 
large,  purple,  clustered. 

The  deep-hued  flowers  of  this  stout  plant  are  commonly 
found  along  the  sand-hills  of  the  seashore,  and  also  on  the  shores 
of  the  Great  Lakes,  blooming  in  early  summer.  Both  flowers 
and  leaves  are  at  once  recognized  as  belonging  to  the  Pulse  fam- 
ily. 


Strophostyles  angulosa.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Stems. — Branched,  one  to  six  feet  long,  prostrate  or  climbing.  Leaves. — 
Divided  into  three  leaflets,  which  are  more  or  less  prominently  lobed  toward 
the  base,  the  terminal  two-lobed  ;  or  some  or  all  without  lobes.  Flowers. — 
Purplish  or  greenish,  on  long  flower-stalks.  Pod. — Linear,  straight,  or  nearly 
so. 

This  somewhat  inconspicuous  plant  is  found  back  of  the  sand- 
hills along  the  coast,  often  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  beach 
pea,  and  climbing  over  river-banks,  thickets,  and  fences  as  well. 
It  can  usually  be  identified  by  its  oddly  lobed  leaflets. 


BLUE  VETCH. 

Vicia  cracca.     Pulse  Family  (p.  16). 

Leaves. — Divided  into  twenty  to  twenty-four  leaflets,  with  slender  tips. 
Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  blue  turning  purple,  growing  in  close,  many-flow- 
ered, one-sided  spikes. 

This  is  an  emigrant  from  Europe  which  is  found  in  some  of 
our  eastern  fields  and  thickets  as  far  south  as  New  Jersey.  It 
usually  climbs  more  or  less  by  means  of  the  tendril  at  the  tip  of 
its  divided  leaves,  and  sometimes  forms  bright  patches  of  vivid 
blue  over  the  meadows. 

Another  member  of  this  genus  is  V.  sattva,  the  common 
vetch  or  tare,  with  purplish  or  pinkish  flowers,  growing  singly 
or  in  pairs  from  the  axils  of  the  leaves,  which  leaves  are  divided 

264 


PLATE  XCVII 


BEACH  PEA.— L.  maritimus. 
265 


BLUE   AND    PURPLE 

into  fewer  and  narrower  leaflets  than  those  of  the  blue  vetch. 
This  species  also  takes  possession  of  cultivated  fields  as  well  as  of 
waste  places  along  the  roadside. 

CHICORY.    SUCCORY. 

Cichorium  Intybus.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stems. — Branching;  Leaves. — The  lower  oblong  or  lance-shaped,  partly 
clasping,  sometimes  sharply  incised,  the  floral  ones  minute.  Flower-heads. 
— Blue,  set  close  to  the  stem,  composed  entirely  of  strap-shaped  flowers  ; 
opening  at  different  times. 

Oh,  not  in  Ladies'  gardens, 

My  peasant  posy  ! 

Smile  thy  dear  blue  eyes, 

Nor  only — nearer  to  the  skies — 

In  upland  pastures,  dim  and  sweet, — 

But  by  the  dusty  road 

Where  tired  feet 

Toil  to  and  fro  ; 

Where  flaunting  Sin 

May  see  thy  heavenly  hue, 

Or  weary  Sorrow  look  from  thee 

Toward  a  more  tender  blue  !  * 

This  roadside  weed  blossoms  in  late  summer.  It  is  exten- 
sively cultivated  in  France,  where  the  leaves  are  blanched  and 
used  in  a  salad  which  is  called  "Bar be  des  Capucins."  The 
roots  are  roasted  and  mixed  with  coffee  both  there  and  in  Eng- 
land. 

Horace  mentions  its  leaves  as  part  of  his  frugal  fare,  and  Pliny 
remarks  upon  the  importance  of  the  plant  to  the  Egyptians,  who 
formerly  used  it  in  great  quantities,  and  of  whose  diet  it  is  still  a 
staple  article. 

BLUE  AND  PURPLE  ASTERS. 

Aster.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Flower-heads. — Composed  of  blue  or  purple  ray-flowers,  with  a  centre  of 
yellow  disk-flowers. 

As  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  different  species  of  aster 
are  native  to  the  United  States,  and  as  fifty-four  of  these  are 
found  in  Northeastern  America,  all  but  a  dozen  being  purple  or 

*  Margaret  Deland. 
266 


PLATE   XCVIII 


Single  flower. 


CHICORY.— C.  Intybus. 
267 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

blue  (i.e.,  with  purple  or  blue  ray-flowers),  and  as  even  botan- 
ists find  that  it  requires  patient  application  to  distinguish  these 
many  species,  only  a  brief  description  of  the  more  conspicuous 
and  common  ones  is  here  attempted. 

Along  the  dry  roadsides  in  early  August  we  may  look  for  the 
bright  blue-purple  flowers  of  A.  patens.  This  is  a  low-growing 
species,  with  rough,  narrowly  oblong,  clasping  leaves,  and  widely 
spreading  branches,  whose  slender  branchlets  are  usually  termi- 
nated by  a  solitary  flower-head. 

Probably  no  member  of  the  group  is  more  striking  than  the 
New  England  aster,  A.  Novcz  Anglice,  whose  stout  hairy  stem 
(sometimes  eight  feet  high),  numerous  lance-shaped  leaves,  and 
large  violet-purple  or  sometimes  pinkish  flower-heads,  are  con- 
spicuous in  the  swamps  of  late  summer. 

A.  puniceus  is  another  tall  swamp-species,  with  long  showy 
pale  lavender  ray-flowers. 

One  of  the  most  commonly  encountered  asters  is  A.  cordifo- 
lius,  which  is  far  from  being  the  only  heart-leaved  species,  de- 
spite its  title.  Its  many  small,  pale  blue  or  almost  white  flower- 
heads  mass  themselves  abundantly  along  the  wood-borders  and 
shaded  roadsides. 

Perhaps  the  loveliest  of  all  the  tribe  is  the  seaside  purple 
aster,  A.  spectabilis,  a  low  plant  with  narrowly  oblong  leaves 
and  large  bright  heads,  the  violet-purple  ray-flowers  of  which 
are  nearly  an  inch  long.  This  grows  in  sandy  soil  near  the 
coast  and  may  be  found  putting  forth  its  royal,  daisy-like  blos- 
soms into  November. 

Great  Britain  can  claim  but  one  native  aster,  A.  Tripolium, 
or  sea-starwort  as  it  is  called.  Many  American  species  are  cul- 
tivated in  English  gardens  under  the  general  title  of  Michaelmas 
daisies.  The  star  wort  of  Italy  is  A.  amellus.  The  Swiss  spe- 
cies is  A.  Alpinum. 

This  beautiful  genus,  like  that  of  the  golden-rod,  is  one  of 
the  peculiar  glories  of  our  country.  Every  autumn  these  two 
kinds  of  flowers  clothe  our  roadsides  and  meadows  with  so  regal 
a  mantle  of  purple  and  gold  that  we  cannot  but  wonder  if  the 
flowers  of  any  other  region  combine  in  such  a  radiant  display. 

268 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

IRON-WEED. 

Vernonia  Noveboracensis.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Leafy,  usually  tall.  Leaves. — Alternate,  somewhat  lance-oblong. 
Flozver-heads. — An  intense  red-purple,  loosely  clustered,  composed  entirely 
of  tubular  flowers. 

.  Along  the  roadsides  and  low  meadows  near  the  coast  the 
iron-weed  adds  its  deep  purple  hues  to  the  color-pageant  of  late 
August.  By  the  uninitiated  the  plant  is  often  mistaken  for  an 
aster,  but  a  moment's  inspection  will  discover  that  the  minute 
flowers  which  compose  each  flower-head  are  all  tubular  in  shape, 
and  that  the  ray  or  strap-shaped  blossoms  which  an  aster  must 
have  are  wanting.  These  flower-heads  are  surrounded  by  an 
involucre  composed  of  small  scales  which  are  tipped  with  a  tiny 
point  and  are  usually  of  a  purplish  color  also. 

BLUE  CURLS.    BASTARD  PENNYROYAL. 

Trichostema  dichotomum.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

Stem. — Rather  low,  branching,  clammy.  Leaves. — Opposite,  narrowly 
oblong  or  lance-shaped,  glutinous,  with  a  balsamic  odor.  Flowers. — Purple, 
occasionally  pinkish,  not  usually  clustered.  Calyx. — Five-cleft,  two-lipped. 
Corolla. — Five-lobed,  the  three  lower  lobes  more  or  less  united.  Stamens. — 
Four,  very  long  and  curved,  protruding.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

In  the  sandy  fields  of  late  summer  this  little  plant  attracts 
notice  by  its  many  purple  flowers.  Its  corolla  soon  falls  and 
exposes  to  view  the  four  little  nutlets  of  the  ovary  lying  within 
the  enlarged  calyx  like  tiny  eggs  in  their  nest.  Its  aromatic 
odor  is  very  perceptible,  and  the  little  glands  with  which  it  is 
covered  may  be  seen  with  the  aid  of  a  magnifier.  The  generic 
name,  Trichostema,  signifies  hairy  stamens  and  alludes  to  the 
curved  hair-like  filaments. 

SEA  LAVENDER.    MARSH  ROSEMARY. 

Statice  Caroliniana.     Leadwort  Family. 

Stems. — Leafless,  branching.  Leaves. — From  the  root,  somewhat  ob- 
long, thick.  Flowers. — Lavender-color  or  pale  purple,  tiny,  scattered  or 
loosely  spiked  along  one  side  of  the  branches.  Calyx. — Dry,  funnel-form. 
Corolla. — Small,  with  five  petals.  Stamens, — Five.  Pistil. — One,  with 
five,  rarely  three,  styles. 

In  August  many  of  the  salt  marshes  are  blue  with  the  tiny 
flowers  of  the  sea  lavender.  The  spray-like  appearance  of  the 

269 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 


little  plant  would  seem  to  account  for  its  name  of  rosemary, 
which  is  derived  from  the  Latin  for  sea- spray,  but  Dr.  Prior 
states  that  this  name  was  given  it  on  account  of  "its  usually 
growing  on  the  sea-coast,  and  its  odor." 

Blossoming  with  the  lavender  we  often  find  the  great  rose 
mallows  and  the  dainty  sea  pinks.  The  marsh  St.  John's-wort  as 
well  is  frequently  a  neighbor,  and,  a  little  later  in  the  season,  the 
salt  marsh  fleabane. 

BLAZING  STAR. 

Liatris  scariosa.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Stem. — Simple,  stout,  hoary,  two  to  five  feet  high.  Leaves. — Alternate, 
narrowly  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Racemed  along  the  upper  part  of 
the  stem,  composed  entirely  of  tubular  flowers  of  a  beautiful  shade  of  rose- 
purple. 

These  showy  and  beautiful  flowers  lend  still  another  tint  to 
the  many-hued  salt  marshes  and  glowing  inland  meadows  of  the 
falling  year.  Gray  assigns  them  to  dry  localities  from  New 
England  to  Minnesota  and  southward,  while  my  own  experience 
of  them  is  limited  to  the  New  England  coast,  where  their  stout 
leafy  stems  and  bright-hued  blossoms  are  noticeable  among  the 
golden-rods  and  asters  of  September.  The  hasty  observer  some- 
times confuses  the  plant  with  the  iron-weed,  but  the  two  flowers 
are  very  different  in  color  and  in  their  manner  of  growth. 

COMMON  DITTANY. 

Ciinila  Mariana.     Mint  Family  (p.  16). 

About  one  foot  high.  Stem. — Much  branched,  reddish.  Leaves. — Op- 
posite, aromatic,  dotted,  smooth,  ovate,  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  base, 
set  close  to  the  stem.  Fevers. — Small,  purple,  lilac  or  white,  clustered. 
Calyx. — Five-toothed.  Corolla. — Small,  two-lipped,  the  upper  lip  erect, 
usually  notched,  the  lower  three-cleft.  Stamens. — Two,  erect,  protruding. 
Pistil. — One,  with  a  two-lobed  style. 

In  late  August  or  early  September  the  delicate  flowers  of  the 
dittany  brighten  the  dry,  sterile  banks  which  flank  so  many  of 
our  roadsides.  At  a  season  when  few  plants  are  flowering  save 
the  omnipresent  members  of  the  great  Composite  family  these 
dainty  though  unpretentious  blossoms  are  especially  attractive. 
The  plant  has  a  pleasant  fragrance. 

270 


PLATE    XCIX 


BLAZING   STAR.— L.  scariosa. 
27I 


BLUE  AND  PURPLE 

CLOSED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  Andreivsii.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high,  upright,  smooth.  Leaves. — Opposite,  nar- 
rowly oval  or  lance-shaped.  Flowers. — Blue  to  purple,  clustered  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  stem  and  often  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Four  or 
five-cleft.  Corolla. — Closed  at  the  mouth,  large,  oblong.  Stamens. — Four 
or  five.  Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

Few  flowers  adapt  themselves  better  to  the  season  than  the 
closed  gentian.  We  look  for  it  in  September  when  the  early 
waning  days  and  frost-suggestive  nights  prove  so  discouraging  to 
the  greater  part  of  the  floral  world.  Then  in  somewhat  moist, 
shaded  places  along  the  roadside  we  find  this  vigorous,  autumnal- 
looking  plant,  with  stout  stems,  leaves  that  bronze  as  the  days 
advance,  and  deep-tinted  flowers  firmly  closed  as  though  to 
protect  the  delicate  reproductive  organs  within  from  the  sharp 
touches  of  the  late  year. 

To  me  the  closed  gentian  usually  shows  a  deep  blue  or  even 
purple  countenance,  although  like  the  fringed  gentian  and  so 
many  other  flowers  its  color  is  lighter  in  the  shade  than  in  the 
sunlight.  But  Thoreau  claims  for  it  a  "  transcendent  blue,"  "  a 
splendid  blue,  light  in  the  shade,  turning  to  purple  with  age." 
"  Bluer  than  the  bluest  sky,  they  lurk  in  the  moist  and  shady 
recesses  of  the  banks,"  he  writes.  Mr.  Burroughs  also  finds  it 
"  intensely  blue." 

FIVE-FLOWERED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  quinqueflora.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — Slender,  branching,  one  or  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite, 
ovate,  lance-shaped,  partly  clasping.  Flowers. — Pale  blue,  smaller  than 
those  of  the  closed  gentian,  in  clusters  of  about  five  at  the  summit  of  stems 
and  branches.  Calyx. — Four  or  five-cleft,  small.  Corolla. — Funnel-form, 
four  or  five-lobed',  its  lobes  bristle-pointed.  Stamens. — Four  or  five.  Pis- 
til.— One,  with  two  stigmas. 

Although  the  five-flowered  gentian  is  far  less  frequently  en- 
countered than  the  closed  gentian,  it  is  very  common  in  certain 
localities.  Gray  assigns  it  to  "moist  hills"  and  "along  the 
mountains  to  Florida."  I  have  found  it  growing  in  great  abun- 
dance on  the  Shawangunk  Mountains  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y. , 
where  it  flowers  in  September. 

272 


PLATE  C 


CLOSED   GENTIAN.— G.  Andrewsii. 
273 


BLUE    AND    PURPLE 


FRINGED  GENTIAN. 

Gentiana  crinita.     Gentian  Family. 

Stem. — One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves. — Opposite,  lance-shaped  or  nar- 
rowly oval.  Flowers. — Blue,  large.  Calyx. — Four-cleft,  the  lobes  unequal. 
Corolla. — Funnel-form,  with  four  fringed,  spreading  lobes.  Stamens. — Four. 
Pistil. — One,  with  two  stigmas. 

In  late  September  when  we  have  almost  ceased  to  hope  for 
new  flowers  we  are  in  luck  if  we  chance  upon  this 

— blossom  bright  with  autumn  dew 
whose 

— sweet  and  quiet  eye 

Looks  through  its  fringes  to  the  sky, 
Blue— blue— as  if  that  sky  let  fall, 
A  flower  from  its  cerulean  wall ;  * 

for  the  fringed  gentian  is  fickle  in  its  habits,  and  the  fact  that  we 
have  located  it  one  season  does  not  mean  that  we  will  find  it  in 
the  same  place  the  following  year ;  being  a  biennial,  with  seeds 
that  are  easily  washed  away,  it  is  apt  to  change  its  haunts  from 
time  to  time.  So  our  search  for  this  plant  is  always  attended 
with  the  charm  of  uncertainty.  Once  having  ferreted  out  its 
new  abiding-place,  however,  we  can  satiate  ourselves  with  its 
loveliness,  which  it  usually  lavishes  unstintingly  upon  the  moist 
meadows  which  it  has  elected  to  honor. 

Thoreau  describes  its  color  as  "such  a  dark  blue  !  surpassing 
that  of  the  male  bluebird's  back  !  "  My  experience  has  been 
that  the  flowers  which  grow  in  the  shade  are  of  a  clear  pure 
azure,  "  Heaven's  own  blue,"  as  Bryant  claims;  while  those 
which  are  found  in  open,  sunny  meadows  may  be  justly  said  to 
vie  with  the  back  of  the  male  bluebird.  If  the  season  has  been 
a  mild  one  we  shall  perhaps  find  a  few  blossoms  lingering  into 
November,  but  the  plant  is  probably  blighted  by  a  severe  frost, 
although  Miss  Emily  Dickinson's  little  poem  voices  another 

opinion  : 

.        .  And  mockery  was  still. 

But  just  before  the  snows  The  frosts  were  her  condition  : 

There  came  a  purple  creature  The  Tyrian  would  not  come 

That  ravished  all  the  hill :  Until  the  North  evoked  it, 

And  Summer  hid  her  forehead,  "  Creator !  shall  I  bloom  ?  " 

*  Bryant. 

274 


PLATE  Cl 


FRINGED   GENTIAN.— G.  crinita. 
275 


VI 
MISCELLANEOUS 

SKUNK  CABBAGE.    SWAMP  CABBAGE 

Symplocarpus  f&tidus*     Arum  Family. 

Leaves. — Large,  becoming  one  or  two  feet  long  ;  heart-shaped,  appearing 
later  than  the  purple-mottled  spathe  and  hidden  flowers.  Flowers. — Small 
and  inconspicuous  ;  packed  on  the  fleshy  spike  which  is  hidden  within  the 
spathe. 

If  we  are  bold  enough  to  venture  into  certain  swampy  places 
in  the  leafless  woods  and  brown  cheerless  meadows  of  March,  we 
notice  that  the  sharply  pointed  spathes  of  the  skunk  cabbage 
have  already  pierced  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Until  I  chanced 
upon  a  passage  in  Thoreau's  Journal  under  date  of  October  3ist, 
I  had  supposed  that  these  "hermits  of  the  bog"  were  only 
encouraged  to  make  their  appearance  by  the  advent  of  those  first 
balmy,  spring-suggestive  days  which  occasionally  occur  as  early 
as  February.  But  it  seems  that  many  of  these  young  buds  had 
pushed  their  way  upward  before  the  winter  set  in,  for  Thoreau 
counsels  those  who  are  afflicted  with  the  melancholy  of  autumn 
to  go  to  the  swamps,  ' '  and  see  the  brave  spears  of  skunk-cabbage 
buds  already  advanced  toward  a  new  year. "  "  Mortal  and  human 
creatures  must  take  a  little  respite  in  this  fall  of  the  year,"  he 
writes.  * '  Their  spirits  do  flag  a  little.  There  is  a  little  question- 
ing of  destiny,  and  thinking  to  go  like  cowards  to  where  the 
t  weary  shall  be  at  rest.  But  not  so  with  the  skunk-cabbage.  Its 

withered  leaves  fall  and  are  transfixed  by  a  rising  bud.  Winter 
and  death  are  ignored.  The  circle  of  life  is  complete.  Are 
these  false  prophets  ?  Is  it  a  lie  or  a  vain  boast  underneath  the 
skunk-cabbage  bud  pushing  it  upward  and  lifting  the  dead  leaves 
with  it?" 

The  purplish  shell-like  leaf,  which  curls  about  the  tiny  flowers 
which  are  thus  hidden  from  view,  is  a  rather  grewsome-looking 

276 


PLATE  Cll 


SKUNK  CABBAGE.-&  fcetidus. 
277 


MISCELLANEOUS 

object,  suggestive  of  a  great  snail  when  it  lifts  itself  fairly  above 
its  muddy  bed.  When  one  sees  it  grouped  with  brother-cabbages 
it  is  easy  to  understand  why  a  nearly  allied  species,  which 
abounds  along  the  Italian  Riviera,  should  be  entitled  "  Cap- 
pucini  "  by  the  neighboring  peasants,  for  the  bowed,  hooded 
appearance  of  these  plants  might  easily  suggest  the  cowled 
Capuchins. 

It  seems  unfortunate  that  our  earliest  spring  flower  (for  such 
it  undoubtedly  is)  should  possess  so  unpleasant  an  odor  as  to  win 
for  itself  the  unpoetic  title  of  skunk  cabbage.  There  is  also 
some  incongruity  in  the  heading  of  the  great  floral  procession  of 
the  year  by  the  minute  hidden  blossoms  of  this  plant.  That  they 
are  enabled  to  survive  the  raw  March  winds  which  are  rampant 
when  they  first  appear  is  probably  due  to  the  protection  afford- 
ed them  by  the  leathery  leaf  or  spathe.  When  the  true  leaves 
unfold  they  mark  the  wet  woods  and  meadows  with  bright 
patches  of  rich  foliage,  which  with  that  of  the  hellebore,  flash 
constantly  into  sight  as  we  travel  through  the  country  in  April. 

It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  the  skunk  cabbage  is  nearly 
akin  to  the  spotless  calla  lily,  the  purple-mottled  spathe  of  the 
one  answering  to  the  snowy  petal-like  leaf  of  the  other.  Meehan 
tells  us  that  the  name  bear-weed  was  given  to  the  plant  by  the 
early  Swedish  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia.  It 
seems  that  the  bears  greatly  relished  this  early  green,  which 
Meehan  remarks  "must  have  been  a  hot  morsel,  as  the  juice  is 
acrid,  and  is  said  to  possess  some  narcotic  power,  while  that  of 
the  root,  when  chewed,  causes  the  eyesight  to  grow  dim." 

WILD  GINGER. 

Asarum  Canadense.     Birthwort  Family. 

Leaves. — One  or  two  on  each  plant,  kidney  or  heart-shaped,  fuzzy,  long- 
stalked.  Flower. — Dull  purplish-brown,  solitary,  close  to  the  ground  on  a 
short  flower-stalk  from  the  fork  of  the  leaves.  Calyx. — Three-cleft,  bell- 
shaped.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Twelve.  Pistil. — One,  with  a  thick 
style  and  six  thick,  radiating  stigmas. 

Certain  flowers  might  be  grouped  under  the  head  of  "  vege- 
table cranks."  Here  would  be  classed  the  evening  primrose, 
which  only  opens  at  night,  the  closed  gentian,  which  never  opens 

278 


PLATE  cm 


WILD  GINGER.— A.  Canadmse. 
279 


MISCELLANEOUS 

at  all,  and  the  wild  ginger,  whose  odd,  unlovely  flower  seeks  pro- 
tection beneath  its  long-stemmed  fuzzy  leaves,  and  hides  its 
head  upon  the  ground  as  if  unwilling  to  challenge  comparison 
with  its  more  brilliant  brethren.  Unless  already  familiar  with 
this  plant  there  is  nothing  to  tell  one  when  it  has  reached  its 
flowering  season  ;  and  many  a  wanderer  through  the  rocky  woods 
in  early  May  quite  overlooks  its  shy,  shamefaced  blossom. 

The  ginger-like  flavor  of  the  rootstock  is  responsible  for  its 
common  name.  It  grows  wild  in  many  parts  of  Europe  and  is 
cultivated  in  England,  where  at  one  time  it  was  considered  a 
remedy  for  headache  and  deafness. 

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.      INDIAN  TURNIP. 
Ariscema  triphyllum.     Arum  Family. 

Scape. — Terminated  by  a  hood-like  leaf  or  spathe.  Leaves. — Generally 
two,  each  divided  into  three  leaflets.  Flowers. — Small  and  inconspicuous, 
packed  about  the  lower  part  of  the  fleshy  spike  or  spadix  which  is  shielded 
by  the  spathe.  Fruit. — A  bright  scarlet  berry  which  is  packed  upon  the 
spadix  with  many  others. 
. 

These  quaint  little  preachers,  ensconced  in  their  delicate  pul- 
pits, are  well  known  to  all  who  love  the  woods  in  early  spring. 
Sometimes  these  "pulpits"  are  of  a  light  green  veined  with  a 
deeper  tint ;  again  they  are  stained  with  purple.  This  differ- 
ence in  color  has  been  thought  to  indicate  the  sex  of  the  flowers 
within — the  males  are  said  to  be  shielded  by  the  green,  the 
females  by  the  purple,  hoods.  In  the  nearly  allied  cuckoo-pints 
of  England,  matters  appear  to  be  reversed  :  these  plants  are  called 
"Lords  and  Ladies"  by  the  children,  the  purple-tinged  ones 
~^L  being  the  "Lords,"  the  light  green  ones  the  "Ladies."  The 
generic  name,  Ariscema,  signifies  bloody  arum,  and  refers  to 
the  dark  purple  stains  of  the  spathe.  An  old  legend  claims  that 
these  were  received  at  the  Crucifixion  : 

Beneath  the  cross  it  grew  ; 
And  in  the  vase-like  hollow  of  the  leaf, 
Catching  from  that  dread  shower  of  agony 
A  few  mysterious  drops,  transmitted  thus 
Unto  the  groves  and  hills  their  healing  stains, 
A  heritage,  for  storm  or  vernal  shower 
Never  to  blow  away. 

280 


PLATE   CIV 


Fruit. 


Corm. 

JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT.—  A.  triphyllum. 
281 


MISCELLANEOUS 

The  Indians  were  in  the  habit  of  boiling  the  bright  scarlet 
berries  which  are  so  conspicuous  in  our  autumn  woods  and  de- 
vouring them  with  great  relish  ;  they  also  discovered  that  the 
bulb-like  base  or  corm,  as  it  is  called,  lost  its  acridity  on  cook- 
ing, and  made  nutritious  food,  winning  for  the  plant  its  name 
of  Indian  turnip.  One  of  its  more  local  titles  is  memory-root, 
which  it  owes  to  a  favorite  school-boy  trick  of  tempting  others 
to  bite  into  the  blistering  corm  with  results  likely  to  create  a 
memorable  impression. 

The  English  cuckoo-pint  yielded  a  starch  which  was  greatly 
valued  in  the  time  of  Elizabethan  ruffs,  although  it  proved  too 
blistering  to  the  hands  of  the  washerwomen  to  remain  long  in 
use.  Owing  to  the  profusion  with  which  the  plant  grows  in 
Ireland  efforts  have  been  made  to  utilize  it  as  food  in  periods  of 
scarcity.  By  grating  the  corm  into  water,  and  then  pouring  off 
the  liquid  and  drying  the  sediment,  it  is  said  that  a  tasteless,  but 
nutritious,  powder  can  be  procured. 

ALUM-ROOT. 

HeticJiera  Americana.     Saxifrage  Family. 

Stems. — Two  to  three  feet  high,  glandular,  more  or  less  hairy.  Leaves. 
—  Heart-shaped,  with  short,  rounded  lobes,  wavy-toothed,  mostly  from  the 
root.  Flo%vers. — Greenish  or  purplish,  in  long  narrow  clusters.  Calyx. — 
Bell-shaped,  broad,  five-cleft.  Corolla. — Of  five  small  petals.  Stamens. — 
Five.  Pistil.  — One,  with  two  slender  styles. 

In  May  the  slender  clusters  of  the  alum-root  are  found  in  the 
rocky  woods. 

BLUE  COHOSH. 

Caulophyllum  thalictr aides.      Barberry  Family. 

Stems. — One  to  two  and  a  half  feet  high.  Leaf. — Large,  divided  into 
many  lobed  leaflets  ;  often  a  smaller  one  at  the  base  of  the  flower-cluster. 
Flowers. — Yellowish-green,  clustered  at  the  summit  of  the  stem,  appearing 
while  the  leaf  is  still  small.  Calyx. — Of  six  sepals,  with  three  or  four  small 
bractlets  at  base. — Corolla. — Of  six  thick,  somewhat  kidney-shaped  or 
hooded  petals,  with  short  claws.  Stamens. — Six.  Pistil. — One.  Fruit. 
— Bluish,  berry-like. 

In  the  deep  rich  woods  of  early  spring,  especially  westward, 
may  be  found  the  clustered  flowers  and  divided  leaf  of  the  blue 

282 


MISCELLANEOUS 

cohosh.  The  generic  name  is  from  two  Greek  words  signifying 
stem  and  leaf,  ( '  the  stems  seeming  to  form  a  stalk  for  the  great 
leaf."  (Gray.) 

EARLY  MEADOW  RUE. 

Thalictrum  dioicum.     Crowfoot  Family. 

One  to  two  feet  high.  Leaves, — Divided  into  many  smooth,  lobed,  pale, 
drooping  leaflets.  Flowers. — Purplish  and  greenish,  unisexual.  Calyx. — 
Of  four  or  five  petal-like  sepals.  Corolla. — None.  Stamens. — Indefinite 
in  number,  with  linear  yellowish  anthers  drooping  on  hair-like  filaments 
(stamens  and  pistils  occurring  on  different  plants).  Pistils. — Four  to  four- 
teen. 

The  graceful  drooping  foliage  of  this  plant  is  perhaps  more 
noticeable  than  the  small  flowers  which  appear  in  the  rocky 
woods  in  April  or  May. 


LILY-LEAVED  LIPARIS, 

Liparis  lilii folia.     Orchis  Family  (p.  17). 

Scape. —  Low,  from  a  solid  bulb.  Leaves. — Two,  ovate,  smooth.  Flow- 
ers.— Purplish  or  greenish,  with  thread-like  reflexed  petals  and  a  large  brown- 
purplish  lip  an  inch  and  a  half  long  ;  growing  in  a  raceme. 

In  the  moist,  rich  woods  of  June  we  may  look  for  these  flow- 
ers. The  generic  name  is  derived  from  two  Greek  words  which 
signify  fat  or  shining,  in  reference  to  "  the  smooth  or  unctuous 
leaves."  (Gray.) 


BEECHDROPS.    CANCER-ROOT. 

F.piphegus  Virginian  a.     Broom -rape  Family. 

Stems. — Slender,  fleshy,  branching,  with  small  scales  ;  purplish,  yellow- 
ish or  brownish.  Leaves. — None.  Flowers. — Purplish,  yellowish  or  brown- 
ish, spiked  or  racemecl,  small,  of  two  kinds,  the  upper  sterile,  the  lower  fer- 
tile. 

These  curious-looking  plants  abound  in  the  shade  of  beech- 
trees,  drawing  nourishment  from  their  roots.  The  upper  open 
flowers  are  sterile ;  the  lower  ones,  which  never  expand,  accom- 
plish the  continuance  of  their  kind. 

283 


MISCELLANEOUS 


PINE  SAP.    FALSE  BEECHDROPS. 

Monotropa  Hypopitys.     Heath  Family. 

A  low  fleshy  herb  without  green  foliage  ;  tawny,  reddish,  or  whitish. 
Flowers. — Resembling  in  structure  those  of  the  Indian  pipe,  but  clustered 
in  a  raceme. 

The  pine  sap  is ,  a  parasitic  plant  which  is  closely  allied  to 
the  Indian  pipe  (PI.  XXL).  Its  clustered  flowers  are  usually  fra- 
grant. The  plant  is  commonly  of  a  somewhat  tawny  hue,  but 
occasionally  one  finds  a  bright  red  specimen.  It  flourishes  in  oak 
or  pine  woods  from  June  till  August. 

RATTLESNAKE-ROOT. 

Prenanthes  alba. 

Height. — Two  to  four  feet.  Leaves. — The  lower  cleft  or  toothed,  the 
uppermost  oblong  and  undivided.  Flower-heads. — Nodding,  composed  of 
white  or  greenish  strap-shaped  flowers  surrounded  by  a  purplish  involucre. 

LION'S  FOOT.    GALL-OF-THE-EARTH. 

Prenanthes  serpentaria.     Composite  Family  (p.  13). 

Height. — About  two  feet.  Leaves. — Roughish,  the  lower  lobed,  the  up- 
per oblong  lance-shaped.  Flower-heads. — Nodding,  composed  of  greenish 
or  cream-colored  strap-shaped  flowers  surrounded  by  a  greenish  or  purple 
involucre. 

These  plants  are  peculiarly  decorative  in  late  summer  on  ac- 
count of  their  graceful,  drooping,  bell-shaped  flower-heads.  The 
flowers  themselves  almost  escape  notice,  and  their  color  is  rather 
difficult  to  determine,  the  purplish  or  greenish  involucre  being 
the  plants'  conspicuous  feature. 

The  generic  name  is  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  drooping 
blossom. 

WILD  BEAN.    GROUND-NUT. 

A  pi os  tuber  osa.     Pulse  Family  (p.  1 6). 

Stem. — Twining  and  climbing  over  bushes.  Leaves.— Divided  into  three 
to  seven  narrowly  oval  leaflets.  Flowers. — Papilionaceous,  purplish  or 
chocolate-color,  somewhat  violet-scented,  closely  clustered  in  racemes. 

In  late  summer  the  dark,  rich  flowers  of  the  wild  bean  are 
found  in  short,  thick  clusters  among  the  luxuriant  undergrowth 

284 


MISCELLANEOUS 

and  thickets  of  low  ground.  The  plant  is  a  climber,  bearing 
edible  pear-shaped  tubers  on  underground  shoots,  which  give  it 
its  generic  name  signifying  a  pear. 

CORAL-ROOT. 

Corallorhiza  multijlora.     Orchis  Family  (p.   17). 

Rootstock. — Much  branched,  coral-like,  toothed.  Stem. — Nine  to  eigh- 
teen inches  high,  without  green  foliage.  Flowers. — Rather  small,  dull 
brownish-purple  or  yellowish,  sometimes  mottled  with  red  ;  growing  in  a 
raceme. 

In  the  dry  summer  woods  one  frequently  encounters  the  dull 
racemes  of  this  rather  inconspicuous  little  plant.  It  is  often 
found  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  Indian  pipe  and 
pine  sap.  Being,  like  them,  without  green  foliage,  it  might  be 
taken  for  an  allied  species  by  the  casual  observer.  This  is  one 
of  those  orchids  which  are  popularly  considered  unworthy  to 
bear  the  name,  giving  rise  to  so  much  incredulity  or  disappoint- 
ment in  the  unbotanical. 


285 


INDEX  TO  LATIN   NAMES 


ACHILLEA  Millefolium,  94 
Actasa  alba,  50 
Actaea  rubra,  52 
Agrimonia  Eupatoria,  156 
Aletris  farinosa,  86 
Alisma  Plantago,  98 
Althaea  officinalis,  206 
Amelanchier  oblongifolia,  22 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  65 
Amphicarpaea  monoica,  262 
Anagallis  arvensis,  226 
Anaphilis  margaritact-a,  112 
Anemone  nemorosa,  24 
Anemone  Virginiana,  76 
Anemonella  thalictroides,  26 
Antennaria  plantaginifolia,  32 
Anthemis  Cotula,  71 
Aphyllon  uniflorum,  236 
Apios  tuberosa,  284 
Apocynum  androsaemifolium,  188 
Aquilegia  Canadensis,  214 
Aralia  nudicaulis,  42 
Aralia  quinquefoba,  40 
Aralia  racemosa,  42 
Aralia  trifolia,  40 
Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi,  46 
Arethusa  bulbosa,  248 
Arisaema  triphyllum,  280 
Asarum  Canadense,  278 
Asclepias  Cornuti,  192 
Asclepias  incarnata,  193 
Asclepias  purpurascens,  193 
Asclepias  quadrifolia,  193 
Asclepias  tuberosa,  222 
Asclepias  verticillata,  no 
Ascyrum  Crux-Andrere,  150 
Aster  cordifolius,  268 
Aster  corymbosus,  105 


Aster  ericoides,  105 
Aster  multiflorus,  106 
Aster  Novae-Angliae,  268 
Aster  patens,  268 
Aster  puniceus,  268 
Aster  spectabilis,  268 
Aster  xynbellatus,  105 

BACCHARIS  halimifolia,  no 
Baptisia  tinctoria,  144 
Barbarea  vulgaris,  130 
Berberis  vulgaris,  142 
Bidens  chrysanthemoides,  168 
Bidens  frondosa,  166 
Brassica  nigra,  130 
Brunella  vulgaris,  254 

CALOPOGON  pulchellus,  182 
Caltha  palustris,  113 
Campanula  rotundifolia,  241 
Capsella  Bursa-pastoris,  29 
Cardamine  rhomboidea,  29 
Cassia  Chamaecrista,  148 
Cassia  Marilandica,  146 
Castilleia  coccinea,  219 
Caulophyllum  thalictroides,  282 
Ceanothus  Americanus,  71 
Celastrus  scandens,  77 
Cephalanthus  occidentalis,  82 
Cerastium  arvense,  74 
Chelidonium  majus,  116 
Chelone  glabra,  100 
Chimaphila  maculata,  68 
Chimaphila  umbellata,  68 
Chiogenes  serpyllifolia.  46 
Chrysanthemum  Leucanthemum,  68 
Chrysopsis  falcata,  160 
Chrysopsis  Mariana,  160 


287 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Cichorium  Intybus,  266 
Cicuta  maculata,  97 
Cimicifuga  racemosa,  78 
Circaea  Alpina,  76 
Circaea  Lutetiana,  76 
Claytonia  Virginica,  32 
Clematis  Virginiana,  102 
Clethra  alnifolia,  104 
Clintonia  borealis,  122 
Clintonia  umbellata,  124 
Collinsia  verna,  234 
Collinsonia  Canadensis,  158 
Comandra  umbellata,  71 
Commelina  Virginica,  256 
Convolvulus  Americanus,  190 
Convolvulus  arvensis,  190 
Coptis  trifolia,  28 
Corallorhiza  multiflora,  284 
Cornus  Canadensis,  54 
Cornus  circinata,  49 
Cornus  paniculata,  49 
Cornus  stolonifera,  49 
Corydalis  aurea,  192 
Corydalis  glauca,  192 
Crataegus  coccinea,  50 
Crotalaria  sagittalis,  145 
Cunila  Mariana,  270 
Cuphea  viscosissima,  202 
Cuscuta  Epilinum,  102 
Cuscuta  Gronovii,  102 
Cynoglossum  officinale,  222 
Cypripedium  acaule,  180 
Cypripedium  parviflorum,  124 
Cypripedium  pubescens,  124 

DALIBARDA  repens,  34 
Datura  Stramonium,  104 
Datura  Tatula,  105 
Daucus  Carota,  96 
Delphinium  exaltatum,  240 
Delphinium  tricorne,  240 
Dentaria  diphylla,  29 
Desmodium  acuminatum,  196 
Desmodium  Canadense,  194 
Desmodium  Dillenii,  196 
Desmodium  nudiflorum,  196 
Dianthus  Armeria,  198 
Dicentra  Canadensis,  36 
Dicentra  Cucullaria,  34 
Diervilla  trifida,  134 


Discopleura  capillacea,  97 
Draba  verna,  29 
Drosera  filiformis,  91 
Drosera  Americana,  91 
Drosera  rotundifolia,  91 

ECHINOCYSTIS  lobata,  105 
Echium  vulgare,  257 
Elodes  campanulata,  204 
Epigaea  repens,  173 
Epilobium  angustifolium,  208 
Epilobium  coloratum,  210 
Epilobium  hirsutum,  208 
Epiphegus  Virginiana,  283 
Erigenia  bulbosa,  30 
Erigeron  annuus,  70 
Erigeron  bellidifolius,  235 
Erigeron  Philadelphicus,  236 
Erigeron  strigosus,  70 
Erythronium  albidum,  116 
Erythronium  Americanum,  114 
Eupatorium  ageratoides,  106 
Eupatorium  perfoliatum,  106 
Eupatorium  purpureum,  210 
Euphorbia  corollata,  80 

GALIUM  Aparine,  76 
Gaultheria  procumbens,  72 
Gaylussacia  resinosa,  66 
Genista  tinctoria,  145 
Gentiana  Andrewsii,  272 
Gentiana  crinita,  274 
Gentiana  quinqueflora,  272 
Geranium  maculatum,  238 
Geranium  Robertianum,  193 
Gerardia  flava,  168 
Gerardia  maritima,  210 
Gerardia  purpurea,  210 
Gerardia  quercifolia,  168 
Gerardia  tenuifolia,  210 
Geum  album,  86 
Gnaphilium  polycephalum,  112 
Goodyera  pubescens,  94 

HABENARIA  blephariglottis,  92 
Habenaria  ciliaris,  152 
Habenaria  fimbriata,  249 
Habenaria  lacera,  82 
Habenaria  psycodes,  249 
Habenaria  virescens,  82 


288 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Hamamelis  Virginiana,  170 
Hedeoma  pulegioides,  249 
Helenium  autumnale,  166 
Helianthemum  Canadense,  140 
Helianthus  annuus,  166 
Helianthus  divaricatus,  164 
Helianthus  giganteus,  164 
Hepatica  triloba,  229 
Heuchera  Americana,  282 
Hibiscus  Moscheutos,  206 
Hieracium  aurantiacum,  224 
Hieracium  scabrum,  132 
Hieracium  venosum,  132 
Houstonia  caerulea,  232 
Hudsonia  tomentosa,  134 
Hydrophyllum  Virginicum,  72 
Hypericum  perforatum,  148 
Hypoxis  erecta,  142 

ILEX  verticillata,  52 
Impatiens  fulva,  154 
Impatiens  pallida,  154 
Inula  Helenium,  162 
Iris  versicolor,  244 

JEFFI-.RSONIA  diphylla,  30 

KALMIA  angustifolia,  185 
Kalmia  latifolia,  57 
Krigia  amp'exicaulis,  132 
Krigia  Virginica,  132 

LATHYRUS  maritimus,  264 
Leontodon  autumnalis,  164 
Leonurus  cardiaca,  250 
Lespedeza  capitata,  194 
Lespedeza  polystachya,  194 
Lespedeza  procumbens,  194 
Lespedeza  reticulata,  194 
Liatris  scariosa,  270 
Lilium  Canadense,  136 
Lilium  Philadelphicum,  2ig 
Lilium  superbum,  220 
Linaria  Canadensis,  257 
Linaria  vulgaris,  146 
Lindera  Benzoin,  114 
Linnaea  borealis,  176 
Liparis  liliifolia,  283 
Lobelia  cardmalis,  226 
Lobelia  inflata,  262 


Lobelia  syphilitica,  260 
Lonicera  ciliata,  228 
Lonicera  grata,  228 
Lonicera  sempervirens,  228 
Lupinus  perennis,  240 
Lychnis  Githago,  252 
Lysimachia  quadrifolia,  138 
Lysimachia  stricta,  140   , 
Lythrum  Salicaria,  198 

MAGNOLIA  glauca,  56 
Maianthemum  Canadense,  28 
Malva  rotundifolia,  206 
Medeola  Virginica,  127 
Medicago  lupulina,  144 
Melampyrum  Americanum,  136 
Melilotus  alba,  72 
Melilotus  officinalis,  145 
Menispermum  Canadense,  56 
Mertensia  Virginica,  234 
Mikania  scandens,  108 
Mimulus  ringens,  250 
Mitchella  repens,  80 
Mitella  diphylla,  38 
Monarda  didyma.  224 
Monarda  fistulosa,  256 
Monotropa  Hypopitys,  283 
Monotropa  uniflora,  74 
Myosotis  laxa,  235 

NEMOPANTHES  fascicularis,  52 
Nepeta  Glechoma,  238 
Nuphar  advena,  128 
Nymphaea  odorata,  88 

OAKESIA  sessilifolia,  50 
CEnothera  biennis,  157 
OEnothera  fruticosa,  157 
CEnothera  pumila,  157 
Opuntia  Rafinesquii,  138 
Opuntia  vulgaris,  138 
Orchis  spectabilis,  176 
Orontium  aquaticum,  126 
Osmorrhiza  longistylis,  97 
Oxalis  Acetosella,  62 
Oxalis  stricta,  156 
Oxalis  violacea,  236 


PARNASSTA  Caroliniana,  no 
Pastinaca  sativa,  126 


289 


INDEX   TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Pedicularis  Canadensis,  218 
Penstemon  digitalis,  254 
Penstemon  pubescens,  254 
Phlox  divaricata,  235 
Phlox  glaberrima,  235 
Phlox  maculata,  235 
Phlox  subulata,  235 
Physalis  Virginiana,  101 
Phytolacca  decandra,  92 
Pluchea  camphorata,  208 
Podophyllum  peltatum,  30 
Pogonia  ophioglossoides,  185 
Polygala  cruciata,  188 
Polygala  paucifolia,  186 
Polygala  polygama,  i£6 
Polygala  sanguinea,  186 
Polygonatum  biflorum,  44 
Polygonatum  giganteum,  44 
Polygonella  articulata,  212 
Polygonum  aviculare,  212 
Polygonum  hydropiperoides,  83 
Polygonum  Pennsylvanicum,  212 
Polygonum  scandens,  83 
Pontedaria  cordata,  257 
Potentilla  argentea,  122 
Potentilla  Canadense,  126 
Potentilla  fruticosa,  126 
Prenanthes  alba,  284 
Prenanthes  serpentaria,  284 
Pyrola  elliptica,  66 
Pyrola  rotundifolia,  66 
Pyrus  arbutifolia,  44 
Pyxidanthera  barbulata,  28 

RANUNCULUS  ambigens,  127 
Raphanus  Raphanistrum,  130 
Rhexia  Virginira,  200 
Rhododendron  maximum,  60 
Rhododendron  nudiflorum,  182 
Rhododendron  Rhodora,  184 
Rhododendron  viscosum,  58 
Rhus  Toxicodendron,  65 
Rhus  typhina,  64 
Rhus  venenata,  64 
Rubus  odoratus,  190 
Rudbeckia  hirta,  158 
Rudbeckia  laciniata,  160 

SABBATIA  angularis,  204 
Sabbatia  chloroides,  204 


Sabbatia  stellaris,  202 
Sagittaria  variabilis,  98 
Sambucus  Canadensis,  78 
Sambucus  racemosa,  54 
Sanguinaria  Canadensis,  78 
Saponaria  officinalis,  196 
Sarracenia  purpurea,  236 
Saururus  cernuus,  56 
Saxifraga  Virginiensis,  36 
Scutellaria  galericulata,  244 
Scutellaria  integrifolia,  242 
Scutellaria  lateriflora,  244 
Senecio  aureus,  122 
Senecio  vulgaris,  122 
Silene  antirrhina,  180 
Silene  Cucubalus,  84 
Silene  Pennsylvanica,  178 
Silene  stellata,  84 
Sisyrinchium  angustifolium,  241 
Sium  cicutaefolium,  98 
Smilacina  racemosa,  46 
Smilax  herbacea,  39 
Smilax  rotundifolia,  39 
Solanum  Dulcamara,  258 
Solidago  bicolor,  162 
Solidago  caesia,  162 
Solidago  lanceolata,  162 
Solidago  nemoralis,  162 
Solidago  odorata,  162 
Solidago  rugosa,  162 
Specularia  perfoliata,  242 
Spiraea  salicifolia,  88 
Spiraea  tomentosa,  198 
Spiranthes  cernua,  108 
Spiranthes  gracilis,  108 
Statice  Caroliniana,  269 
Steironema  ciliatum,  142 
Stellaria  longifolia,  74 
Stellaria  media,  74 
Streptopus  roseus,  178 
Strophostyles  angulosa,  264 
Stylophorum  diphyllum,  118 
Symplocarpus  foetidus,  276 

TANACETUM  vulgare,  170 
Taraxacum  officinale,  132 
Thalictrum  dioicum,  283 
Thalictrum  polygamum,  86 
Thaspium  aureum,  126 
Tiarella  cordifolia,  36 


290 


INDEX   TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Tradescantia  Virginica,  257 
Trichostema  dichotomum,  269 
Trientalis  Americana,  26 
Trifolium  agrarium,  144 
Trillium  cernuum,  39 
Trillium  erectum,  216 
Trillium  erythrocarpum,  40 
Trillium  grandiflorum,  39 
Trillium  sessile,  218 

UTRICULAKIA  cornuta,  128 
Utricularia  vulgaris,  128 
Uvularia  perfoliata,  50 

VACCINIUM  corymbosum,  66 
Vaccinium  macrocarpon,  185 
Vaccinium  stamineum,  68 
Veratrum  viride,  38 
Verbascum  Blattaria,  152 
Verbascum  Thapsus,  150 


Verbena  hastata,  252 

Verbena  urticaefolia,  90 

Vernonia  Noveboracensis,  269 

Veronica  Americana,  246 

Veronica  officinalis,  248 

Veronica  Virginica,  77 

Viburnum  acerifolium,  48 

Viburnum  lantanoides,  48 

Vicia  Cracca,  264 

Vicia  sativa,  264 

Viola  blanda,  42 

Viola  Canadensis,  42 

Viola  canina,  var.  Muhlenbergii,  232 

Viola  lanceolata,  42 

Viola  pedata,  230 

Viola  pedata,  var.  bicolor,  230 

Viola  pubescens,  118 

Viola  rotundifolia,  126 

ZIZIA  aurea,  126 


291 


INDEX  TO   ENGLISH   NAMES 


ADDER'S  Mouth,  185 
Adder's  Tongue,  White,  116 
Adder's  Tongue,  Yellow,  114 
Agrimony,  156 
Ague-weed,  106 
Alder,  Black,  52 
Alder,  White,   104 
Alum-root,  281 
Anemone,  Rue,  26 
Anemone,  Wood,  24 
Arbutus,  Trailing,  173 
Arethusa,  248 
Arrow-head,  98 
Arrow-wood,  48 
Aster,  Blue,  266 
Aster,  Golden,  160 
Aster,  Purple,  266 
Aster,  White,  105 
Avens,  White,  86 
Azalea,  Clammy,  58 
Azalea,  Pink,  182 

BALSAM-apple,  Wild,  105 
Baneberry,  Red,  52 
Baneberry,  White,  50 
Barberry,    142 
Bay,  Sweet,  56 
Beach  Pea,  264 
Bean,  Wild,  284 
Bearberry,  46 
Beard-tongue,  254 
Bedstraw,  76 
Bee  Balm,  224 
Beechdrops,  283 


Beechdrops,  False,  283 
Beggar-ticks,  166 
Bellwort,  50 
Benjamin-bush,  114 
Bergamot,  Wild,  256 
Betony,  Wood,  218 
Bindweed,  Hedge,  190 
Bird's  Nest,  96 
Birthroot,  216 
Bishop's  Cap,  38 
Bishop-weed,  Mock,  97 
Bitter-sweet,  77 
Black-eyed  Susan,  158 
Bladder  Campion,  84 
Bladderwort,  128 
Blazing  Star,  270 
Blood-root,  22 
Bluebells,  234 
Blueberry,  66 
Blue  Curls,  269 
Blue-eyed  Grass,  241 
Blue-eyed  Mary,  234 
Bluets,  232 
Blueweed,  258 
Boneset,  106 
Bouncing  Bet,  196 
Brooklime,  American,  246 
Buckwheat,  Climbing  False,  83 
Bugbane,  78 
Bugloss,  Viper's,  258 
Bunch-berry,  54 
Bur  Mangold,  166 
Bush -honey  suckle,  134 
Butter-and-eggs,  146 


292 


INDEX   TO   ENGLISH  NAMES 


Butterfly-weed,  222 
Button-bush,  82 

CALico-bush,  57 
Campion,  Bladder,  84 
Campion,  Starry,  84 
Cancer-root,  283 
Cancer-root,  One-flowered,  236 
Cardinal-flower,  226 
Carrion -flower,  39 
Carrot,  Wild,  96 
Cat-brier,  39 
Catchfly,  Sleepy,  180 
Celandine,  116 
Celandine  Poppy,  118 
Chamomile,  71 
Checkerberry,  72 
Chickweed,  74 
Chicory,  266 
Choke -berry,  44 
Cicely,  Sweet,  97 
Cinquefoil,  Common,  120 
Cinquefoil,  Shrubby,  120 
Cinquefoil,  Silvery,  122 
Cleavers,  76 
Clover,  Bush,  194 
Clover,  Hop,  144 
Clover,  White  Sweet,  72 
Clover,  Yellow,  144 
Clover,  Yellow  Sweet,  145 
Cohosh,   Black,  78 
Cohosh,  Blue,  282 
Colic-root,  86 
Columbine,  Wild,  214 
Cone-flower,  158 
Coral-root,  284 
Corn  Cockle,  252 
Cornel,  Dwarf,  54 
Corpse-plant,  74 
Corydalis,  Golden,  192 
Corydalis,  Pale,  192 
Cowbane,  Spotted,  97 
Cowslip,  114 
Cowslip,  Virginian,  234 
Cow  Wheat,  136 


Cranberry,  185 
Cranesbill,  Wild,  238 
Cress,  Spring,  29 
Cress,  Winter,  130 
Crinkle-root,  29 
Culver's  Root,  77 
Cuphea,  Clammy,  202 
Cynthia,  132 

DAISY,  Blue  Spring,  235 
Daisy,  Ox-eyed,  68 
Daisy,  White,  68 
Daisy  Fleabane,  70 
Dandelion,  132 
Dandelion,  Dwarf,  132 
Dandelion,  Fall,  164 
Day-flower,  256 
Deer-grass,  200 
Devil's  Paintbrush,  224 
Dittany,  270 
Dockmackie,  48 
Dodder,  102 

Dogbane,  Spreading,  188 
Dogwood,  Panicled,  49 
Dogwood,  Red-osier,  49 
Dogwood,  Round-leaved,  49 
Dutchman's  Breeches,  34 
Dyer's  Green-weed,  145 

ELDER,  Common,  78 
Elder,  Red-berried,  54 
Elecampane,  162 
Enchanter's  Nightshade,  76 
Evening  Primrose,  157 
Everlasting,  Early,  32 
Everlasting,  Fragrant  Life,  112 
Everlasting,  Pearly,  112 
Everlasting,  Plantain-leaved,  32 

FEVER-bush,  114 
Fireweed,  208 
Five  Finger,  120 
Flag,  Larger  Blue,  244 
Fleabane,  Daisy,  70 
Fleabane,  Salt  Marsh,  200 


293 


INDEX   TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Fleur-de-lis,  244 
Flowering-moss,  28 
Foam-flower,  36 
Forget-me-not,  235 
Foxglove,  Smooth  False,  168 
Foxglove,  Downy,  168 
Frost-weed,  140 

GALL-of-the-earth,  284 
Garget,  92 
Gentian,  Closed,  272 
Gentian,  Five-flowered,  272 
Gentian,  Fringed,  274 
Geranium,  Wild,  238 
Gerardia,  Purple,  210 
Gerardia,  Seaside,  210 
Gerardia,  Slender,  210 
Gill-over-the  ground,  238 
Ginger,  Wild,  278 
Ginseng,  40 
Ginseng,  Dwarf,  40 
Golden  Club,  126 
Golden-rod,  160 
Gold  Thread,  28 
Goose-grass,  76 
Grass  of  Parnassus,  no 
Green-brier,  39 
Ground  Cherry,  loo 
Ground  Ivy,  238 
Ground  Laurel,  173 
Ground  Nut,  40 
Ground  Nut,  284 
Groundsel,  Common,  122 
Groundsel  Tree,  no 

HARBINGER  of  Spring,  30 

Hardhack,  198 

Harebell,  241 

Hawkweed,  European,  224 

Hawthorn,  50 

Heal-all,  254 

Hedge  Bindweed,  190 

Hellebore,  False,  38 

Hemlock,  Water,  97 

Hemp  weed,  Climbing,  108 


Herb  of  St    Barbara,  130 
Herb  Robert,  193 
Hobble-bush,  48 
Hog  Peanut,  262 
Holly,  Mountain,  52 
Honeysuckle,  Bush,  133 
Honeysuckle,  Fly,  28 
Honeysuckle,  Trumpet,  228 
Honeysuckle,  White  Swamp,  58 
Honeysuckle,  Wild,  182 
Hop  Clover,  144 
Horse  Balm,  158 
Hound's  Tongue,  222 
Huckleberry,  Common  Black,  66 
Huckleberry,  Squaw,  68 
Huntsman's  Cup,  236 
Hyacinth,  Wild,  108 

INDIAN  Cucumber-root,  127 
Indian  Fig,  138 
Indian  Hemp,  188 
Indian  Pipe,  21 
Indian  Poke,  38 
Indian  Tobacco,  262 
Indian  Turnip,  280 
Indigo,  Wild,  144 
Innocence,  234 
Iron-weed,  269 
Ivy,  American,  65 
Ivy,  Ground,  238 
Ivy,  Poison,  65 

jACK-in-the-pulpit,  280 
Jamestown  Weed,  104 
Jewel- weed,  154 
Joe-pye-weed,  210 
June-berry,  22 

KNOTWEED,  Common,  83 
Kno tweed,  Pink,  212 
Knotweed,  Sand,  212 

LADIES'  Tresses,  108 
Lady's  Slipper,  Pink,  180 
Lady's  Slipper,  Yellow,  124 


294 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Lambkill,  185 

Larkspur,  240 

Laurel,  Great,  60 

Laurel,  Ground,  173 

Laurel,  Mountain,  57 

Laurel,  Sheep,  185 

Laurel  Magnolia,  56 

Lily,  Meadow,  136 

Lily,  Turk's  Cap,  220 

Lily,  White  Water,  88 

Lily,  Wild  Red,  219 

Lily,  Wild  Yellow,  136 

Lily,  Wood,  219 

Lily,  Yellow  Pond,  128 

Linaria,  Blue,  257 

Lion's  Foot,  284 

Liparis,  Lily-leaved,  283 

Liver-leaf,  229 

Liverwort,  229 

Lizard's  Tail,  56 

Lobelia,  Great,  260 

Loosestrife,  Four-leaved,  138 

Loosestrife,  Purple,  198 

Loosestrife,  Yellow,  140 

Lousewort,  218 

Love  Vine,  102 

Lungwort,  234 

Lupine,  Wild,  240 

MALLOW,  Common,  206 
Mallow,  Marsh,  206 
Mallow,  Rose,  206 
Mallow,  Swamp,  206 
Mandrake,  30 
Marsh  Marigold,  113 
May-apple,  30 
Mayflower,  173 
Mayweed,  71 
Meadow-beauty,  200 
Meadow  Lily,  136 
Meadow  Rue,  Early,  283 
Meadow  Rue,  Tall,  86 
Meadow-sweet,  88 
Melilot,  White,  72 
Melilot,  Yellow,  145 


Milfoil,  94 

Milkweed,  Common,  192 
Milkweed,  Four-leaved,  193 
Milkweed,  Green-flowered,  1 10 
Milkweed,  Orange-red,   222 
Milkweed,  Purple,  193 
Milkweed,  Swamp,  193 
Milkwort,  186 
Mitrewort,  38 
Mitrewort,  False,  136 
Moccason-flower,  180 
Monkey-flower,  250 
Moonseed,  56 
Motherwort,  250 
Mountain  Holly,  52 
Mountain  Laurel,  57 
Mountain  Tea,  72 
Mullein,  Common,  150 
Mullein,  Moth,  152 
Mustard,  Black,  130 

NEW  JERSEY  Tea,  71 
Nightshade,  258 
Nonesuch,  144 

ORCHIS,  Green,  82 
Orchis,  Orange,  152 
Orchis,  Purple  Fringed,  249 
Orchis,  Ragged  Fringed,  82 
Orchis,  Showy,  176 
Orchis,  White  Fringed,  92 
Orchis,  Yellow  Fringed,  152 
Oswego  Tea,  224 

PAINTED  Cup,  219 
Parsnip,  Common  Wild,  126 
Parsnip,  Early  Meadow,  126 
Parsnip,  Meadow,  126 
Parsnip,  Water,  98 
Partridge-pea,  148 
Partridge  Vine,  80 
Pennyroyal,  American,  249 
Pennyroyal,  Bastard,  269 
Pepperbush,  Sweet,  104 
Pepper-root,  29 


295 


INDEX   TO   ENGLISH  NAMES 


Phlox,  Wild,  235 
Pickerel-weed,  257 
Pigeon-berry,  92 
Pimpernel,  226 
Pine  Sap,  283 
Pink,  Deptford,  198 
Pink,  Moss,  235 
Pink,  Sea,  202 
Pink,  Swamp,  182 
Pink,  Wild,  178 
Pinxter-flower,  182 
Pipsissewa,  68 
Pipsissewa,  Spotted,  68 
Pitcher  Plant,  236 
Plantain,  Water,  98 
Plantain,  Rattlesnake,  94 
Plaintain,  Robin's,  235 
Pleurisy-root,  222 
Poison  Ivy,  65 
Poison  Sumach,  64 
Pokeweed,  92 
Polygala,  Fringed,  186 
Polygala,  Moss,  188 
Pond-lily,  Yellow,  126 
Poor-man's-weather-glass,  226 
Poverty-grass,  134 
Prickly  Pear,  138 
Prince's  Pine,  68 
Pyxie,  28 

QUAKER  Ladies,  232 
Queen  Anne's  Lace,  96 

RADISH,  Wild,  130 
Ragwort,  Golden,  122 
Raspberry,  Purple-flowering,  190 
Rattlebox,  145 
Rattlesnake-plantain,  94 
Rattlesnake-root,  284 
Rattlesnake-weed,  132 
Red -root,  71 
Rheumatism-root,  30 
Rhododendron,  American,  60 
Rhodora,  184 
Rich-weed,  158 


Robin's  Plantain,  235 
Rocket,  Yellow,  130 
Rock-rose,  140 
Rosemary,  Marsh,  269 
Rue  Anemone,  26 
Rue,  Early  Meadow,  283 
Rue,  Tall  Meadow,  86 

ST.  ANDREW'S  Cross,  150 
St.  John's-wort,  Common,  148 
St.  John's-wort,  Marsh,  204 
Sarsaparilla,  Wild,  42 
Saxifrage,  Early,  36 
Scabious,  Sweet,  70 
Sea  Lavender,  269 
Self-heal,  254 
Senna,  Wild,  146 
Service-berry,  22 
Shad-bush,  22 
Sheep  Laurel,  185 
Shepherd's  Purse,  29 
Shin-leaf,  66 
Side-saddle  Flower,  236 
Silver-rod,  162 
Simpler's  Joy,  252 
Skull-cap,  Larger,  242 
Skull-cap,  Mad-dog,  244 
Skunk  Cabbage,  276 
Snakeroot,  Black,  78 
Snakeroot,  White,  106 
Sneezeweed,  166 
Snowberry,  Creeping,  46 
Soapwort,  196 
Solomon's  Seal,  44 
Solomon's  Seal,  False,  46 
Sorrel,  Violet  Wood,  236 
Sorrel,  Wood,  62 
Sorrel,  Yellow  Wood,  156 
Spatter  Dock,  128 
Spearwort,  127 
Speedwell,  248 
Spice-bush,  114 
Spiderwort,  257 
Spikenard,  42 
Spoonwood,  57 


296 


INDEX   TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Spring  Beauty,  32 
Spurge,  80 
Squaw-weed,  122 
Squirrel  Corn,  36 
Staghorn  Sumach,  64 
Star-flower,  26 
Star-grass,  86 
Star-grass,  Yellow,  142 
Steeple-bush,  198 
Stick-tight,  166 
Stitchwort,  74 
Stoneroot,  158 
Succory,  266 
Sumach,  Poison,  64 
Sumach,  Staghorn,  64 
Sundew,  96 
Sundrops,  157 
Sunflower,  Swamp,  166 
Sunflower,  Wild,  166 
Swamp  Cabbage,  276 
Sweet  Cicely,  97 
Sweet  William,  Wild,  235 

TANSY,  170 
Thimble-weed,  76 
Thorn-apple,  104 
Thoroughwort,  106 
Tick-trefoil,  194 
Toadflax,  Bastard,  71 
Toadflax,  Blue,  257 
Toadflax,  Yellow,  146 
Toothwort,  29 
Touch-me-not,  154 
Trailing  Arbutus,  173 
Traveller's  Joy,  102 
Trillium,  Painted,  46 
Trillium,  White,  39 
Trumpet-weed,  216 
Turtle-head,  100 
Twin-flower,  176 
Twin-leaf,  30 
Twisted  Stalk,  178 

VENUS' s  Looking-glass,  242 
Vervain,  Blue,  252 


Vervain,  White,  90 
Vetch,  Blue,  264 
Vetch,  Common,  264 
Viburnum,  Maple-leaved,  48 
Violet,  Bird-foot,  230 
Violet,  Canada,  42 
Violet,  Common  Blue,  230 
Violet,  Dog,  232 
Violet,  Dog's  Tooth,  114 
Violet,  Downy  Yellow,  1 1 8 
Violet,  Lance-leaved,  42 
Violet,  Round-leaved,  120 
Violet,  Sweet  White,  42 
Viper's  Bugloss,  258 
Virginia  Creeper,  65 
Virgin's  Bower,  IO2 

WAKE  Robin,  216 
Water  Hemlock,  97 
Waterleaf,  72 
Water-lily,  White,  88 
Water-parsnip,   98 
Water-pepper,  Mild,  83 
Water-plantain,  98 
Wax-weed,  202 
Wax- work,  77 

Wayfaring-tree,  American,  48 
Whin,  New  England,  145 
Whip-poor-wilPs-shoe,  124 
White-hearts,  34 
White-thorn,  50 
White-weed,  68 
Whitlow-grass,  29 
Willow-herb,  Great,  208 
Willow-herb,  Hairy,  208 
Wind-flower,  24 
Winterberry,  52 
Wintergreen,  72 
Witch-hazel,  170 
Woad-waxen,  145 
Woodbine,  228 
Wood  Sorrel,  62 
Wood  Sorrel,  Violet,  236 
Wood  Sorrel,  Yellow,  156 


YARROW,  94 


297 


INDEX  OF  TECHNICAL   TERMS 


ANTHER,  n 
Axil,  9 
Axillary,  9 

BULB,  8 

CALYX,  10 
Cleistogamous,  6 
Complete  flower,  10 
Compound  leaf,  9 
Corm,  8 
Corolla,  9 
Cross-fertilization,  3 

DIMORPHOUS,  232 
Disk-flowers,  14 
Doctrine  of  signatures,  i 

ENTIRE  leaf,  8 

FEMALE  flower,  12 
Filament,  n 
Fruit,  12 

HEAD,  10 

MALE  flower,  12 
Much-divided  leaf,  9 

NEUTRAL  flower,  12 
OVARY,  n 


PAPILIONACEOUS,  16 
Pistil,  ii 

Pistillate  flower,  12 
Perianth,  n 
Petal,  ii 
Pollen,  ii 

RACEME,  9 
Ray-flowers,  14 
Root,  8 
Rootstock,  8 

SCAPE,  8 

Self-fertilization,  3 
Sepal,  10 
Sessile,  10 
Simple  leaf,  9 
Simple  stem,  8 
Spadix,  10 
Spathe,  10 
Spike,  10 
Stamen,  n 
Staminate  flower,  12 
Stem,  8 
Stemless,  8 
Stigma,  ii 
Strap-shaped,  14 
Style,  II 

TRIMORPHISM,  200 
Tuber,  8 
Tubular-shaped,  14 

UNISEXUAL,  12 


298 


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